8MB 


tf'CSB  LIBRARY         ^ 


YACHTING    WRINKLES. 


OUTING  LIBRARY  OF  SPORT. 


YACHTING  WRINKLES 


A     PRACTICAL     AND     HISTORICAL     HANDBOOK     OF 

VALUABLE  INFORMATION  FOR  THE  RACING 

AND  CRUISING    YACHTSMAN. 


CAPTAIN    A.    j.    KENEALY, 

Author    of    "  Boat  Sailing,    Fair  Weather  and  Foul," 

'•  Yacht    Races   for   the  America's  Cup," 

Etc.,  Etc. 


Wrinkle  —  Something  Worth   Knowing.— Nautical   Lexicon. 


With  Apposite  Anecdotes,   Diagrams  and  Illustration?. 


OUTING    PUBLISHING    CO., 

NEW   YORK.  LONDON. 


COPYRIGHTED  BY  B.  J.  WORMAN, 
NEW  YORK 


PREFACE. 

THE  kind  reception  given  by  yachts- 
men generally  to  "  Boat  Sailing, 
Fair  Weather  and  Foul,"  has  in- 
duced me  to  embark   in  a  new 
venture.      The   following   "Wrinkles," 
gleaned  from   practical  experience,  ob- 
servation and  study,  are  printed  in  the 
hope  that   they  may  prove  of  interest 
and  value  to  lovers  of  sailing  craft. 

I  want  to  warn  off  literary  critics  by 
the  frank  admission  that  I  am  not  worthy 
of  their  steel,  being  an  old  sailor  who 
went  to  sea  when  he  was  thirteen,  and 
spent  many  years  afloat  where  books 
were  scarce.  So  far  as  yachting  critics 
or  nautical  experts  are  concerned,  I 
must  let  my  work  speak  for  itself.  If 
it  has  no  other  merit,  it  has  at  least  been 
conscientiously  done. 

A.  J.  KENEALY. 
New  York,  March, 


.CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I. 

YACHT  RACING  AS  A  SPORT  — Brief  Review 
of  the  Fascinating:  Pastime  From  Its  Incep- 
tion to  the  Pi  esent  Time 13 

CHAPTER  II. 

THE  RACING  YACHT— Some  Remarks  on  the 
Material,  Construction  and  Selection  ut  ;i 
Vessel 47 

CHAPTER  III. 

THE  TYPE  OF  YACHT— What  Shall  She  Be— 
Keel,  Centreboard  or  Bulb-fin  ? 78 

CHAPTER  IV. 

FITTING  OUT  AND  TUNING  UP— Hints  As  to 
Going  Into  Commission  and  Making  the 
Craft  Fit  For  a  Race 130 

CHAPTER  V. 

Di'TY  AND  DISCIPLINE  AFLOAT— The  Ship's 
Company  in  Detail  From  the  Skipper  Down 
to  the  Sea  Cook  166 

CHAPTER  VI. 

A  DOWN-TO-DATE  YACHT  RACE -In  Which 
May  Be  Found  Some  Noteworthy  Examples 
of  the  Sea-Jockey's  Art 192 

CHAPTER  VII. 

KACING  RULES  AND  THE  RULE  OF  THE  ROAD 

--Some    Important   Points   That    Amateurs 

and  Professionals  Should  Bear  in  Mind 215 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

EVOLUTION  OF  THE  RACER— How  Tonnage 
and  Measurement  Rules  Have  Affected  Form 
in  America  and  Great  Britain 225 

CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  ETIQUETTE  OF  YACHTING— What  is 
Comsidered  to  Be  "  Good  Form "  in  Craft, 
Owner  and  Crew 261 

CHAPTER  X. 

YACHTING  INSURANCE— Also  a  Few  Legal 
Wrinkles  on  the  Status  and  Relation  of 
Owner  to  Crew 272 

CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  COST  OF  YACHTING— Cautionary  and 
Economical  Hints  to  Those  About  to  Em- 
bark in  the  Sport  282 

CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  LAST  WORD— Final  hints  to  tars  who 
want  to  sail  their  own  craft , 292 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE. 

Frontispiece,    "With 
Topmasts  Housed,"     12 

PAGE. 

Double-huller   of  the 
Pacific  126 

Jason  s  Yacht  A  rgo,   .     15 
Viking  Ship,  ....     20 
Flagship    of    Colum- 
bus      25 

Sloop  Grade  133 
Schooner  Sappho,   .     .  134 
Cutter  Genesta,    .     .     .135 

Dutch  Yacht  of  Seven- 
teenth Century,  .    .    28 
Commodore  John   C. 
Stevens,  31 

Rig  of  Cutter  Showing 
Masthead  Shroud,  .  139 
Rig  and   Sail  Plan  of 

Gimcrack  and  Maria,     34 
America,  1851,      ...     38 
Maria,  185*1  38 

Mastheads  of  Uncas,  147-8 
Cutter  Minerva,      .     .150 
Sail    Plan     of     Ethel- 

America's  Lines,      .     .     39 

The  Cutter  Ortva,  .     .     48 
Vigilant  in  Dry-dock,     51 
Uncas  in  Frame,      .     .     55 

Half-rater  Spruce  IV.,  153 
Fifteen  -  footer  Ethel- 

Interior  of  Uncas,  .     .    60 
Form  of  Uncas,  ...     60 
Uncas  On  the  Ways,     .     66 

Forty  -  footer  Gossoon,  161 
America,  1899,       •     •     •   '65 
Phantom,      193 

Ouananiche,     ....     71 

Dragon  III.,     ....     75 
Gloriana  79 

A  Stern  Chase,  .    .    .  201 

Madge,      82 
Germ  of   the  Center- 
board,  84 

Defender  in  Dry-dock,  227 
Thistle,  now  Comtite,    .  230 

Vesta  85 

Valkyrie^IlI    in  Dry- 

Athlon,     94 

dock,     233 

Catboat  Dorothy,     .     .  101 
Keivaydin,    103 
The    Herreshoff   Cat- 
boat  Wanda,    .     .     .  104 
Lines  of  Evolution,    .   107 
Lines  of  Jullanar,  .     .  108 
Lines  of  Niagara,  .     .no 
Lines  of  Jubilee,      .     .no 
Mid-section  of  Dilem- 

Ellen, Twenty-rater,    235 
Cutter's      Bow     and 
Stern,  1892,  ....  237 
English  Mid-sections,  238 
Mid  -sections  of  Cup 
Contestants,    .    .    .  239 
Volunteering.  Thistle,  241 
Vigilant  and  Valkyrie 
II.,    24I 

ma  I  10 

English  Finkeel  Freak 
Na  mi  less,       .     .     .     .   1  1  1 

Valkyrie  If.  243 
Valkyrie    III.,     Stern 
View,   ....            245 

Lines  of  Rocket   .     .     .  n2 
Niagara's^  idshipSec- 
tion,      n3 

Modern  Type  of  Fin,    246 
Defender  and  Valkyrie 
III                                     ->46 

Niagara  Under  Sail,  .  114 

Hoisting       Defenders 

Dad,     117 

Defender  Under  Brook- 

Monstrosity  Skate,      .  118 
Dominion     on      Even 
Keel,     121 

Defendtr  Under  Sail,    255 
Valkyrie    III.    Under 
Sail.      .                         259 

Dominion  Heeled,  .     .121 
Dominion  Under  Sail,    123 

Defender's  Stern,     .     .  271 

I. 

YACHT   RACING  AS  A  SPORT. 

BRIEF  REVIEW  OF  THE  FASCINATING  PASTIME  FROM 
ITS    INCEPTION    TO    THE    PRESENT    TIME. 

A3OUT  half  a  century  ago,  when  I 
wasn't  so  gray  and  grizzled  as  I 
am  now,   I  was  shipmate  with 
John  Gulliver,  an  ancient  mari- 
ner who  fully  believed  in  the  doctrine 
of  the  transmigration  of  souls.     He  used 
to  spin  the  most  wonderful  yarns.     He 
had  in    former    incarnations   animated 
the  body  of  a  whale,  a  green  turtle  and 
a  sea-gull.     He  had  also  been  cabin  boy 
on   the   good   ship   Ark.     He  declared 
that,  of  all   the  skippers  he   had  ever 
sailed   under,    Captain    Noah    was  the 
strictest. 

During  the  brief  but  memorable  voy- 
age of  that  historic  craft,  the  crew,  he 
declared,  never  once  got  an  afternoon 
watch  below.  When  they  weren't  feed- 
ing the  live  stock  they  were  kept  busy 
on  deck  cleaning  brass-work  and  hauling 
taut  the  lee  crossjack  brace.  He  said 
he  felt  very  glad  when  the  time  came 
for  the  crew  to  be  paid  off.  He  had 
grown  weary  of  the  weevily  biscuits 


14  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

and  the  tough  salt  junk.  There  were 
no  "  manavellings  "  aboard  the  tarna- 
tion hooker  and  the  Old  Man  only 
served  out  rum  once  during  the  voyage, 
and  that  was  when  t\ieArk  was  hove-to 
under  a  goose- winged  maintopsail  and 
foretopmast  staysail  in  the  latitude  and 
longitude  of  Mount  Ararat,  waiting  for 
the  dove  to  come  aboard. 

I  remember  I  used  to  listen  with  my 
mouth  wide  open  to  the  marvelous 
stories  of  this  old  salt.  I  once  asked 
him  to  describe  the  interior  fittings  of 
Captain  Noah's  ship,  but  from  what  I 
could  gather  from  him  there  wasn't 
much  gilt  gingerbread  work  in  her 
main  saloon.  Everything  was  for  use  ; 
nothing  for  ornament.  There  weren't 
even  brass  hoops  on  the  mess  kids.  Be- 
sides, she  leaked  like  a  sieve  and 
wouldn't  steer  well  unless  close-hauled 
on  a  bowline. 

The  ship  Argo,  in  which  Jason  sailed 
in  search  of  the  Golden  Fleece,  had  no 
artistic  decorations  below,  but  her  hull, 
from  all  accounts,  was  a  "dandy." 
Built  of  lofty  pines  which  flourished 
on  Mount  Pelion,  she  was  pierced  for 
fifty  oars.  She  was  daubed  with  coal- 
black  pitch,  and  her  bows  were  painted 
with  vermilion.  I  don't  believe  she 
ever  made  more  than  four  knots  an 
hour,  even  with  fifty  heroes  pulling 
their  hardest  at  the  oars,  all  keeping 
time  to  the  music  of  the  harp  of  Or- 
pheus, who  had  too  much  low  cunning 
to  do  any  work  himself.  TheArgo  was 


^V¥:I:-  :'^>:;':rC\    \  v\:1 


JASON'S  YACHT  "  ARGO." 


1 6  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

a  yacht  manned  by  Corinthians  and 
the  first  one  that  ever  sailed  on  the  Eux- 
ine,  vulgarly  known  as  the  Black  Sea. 
So  far  as  I  know,  there  are  no  photo- 
graphs extant  of  her  interior,  but  judg- 
ing from  the  log  of  her  voyage  she  had 
a  fine  galley  on  deck,  in  which  her  crew 
of  heroes  used  to  cook  the  choice  parts 
of  swine  and  deer  for  their  own  use, 
offering  up  the  offal  as  a  sacrifice  to  the 
immortal  gods — a  circumstance  show- 
ing that  the  ancient  mariners  were  just 
as  level-headed  as  the  down-to-date  sea- 
men of  to-day. 

The  handsome  barges  which  belonged 
to  the  high  civilization  of  ancient  Egypt 
used  to  ply  on  the  muddy  waters  of 
the  Nile,  and  highly  ornate  vessels  they 
were,  manned  by  fifty  rowers.  They 
had  sails  of  crimson  silk,  richly  em- 
broidered. Their  cabins,  were  sumptu- 
ous, spacious  and  luxurious,  gold,  silver 
and  precious  stones  being  used  lavishly 
in  their  decoration.  In  such  a  stately 
craft  Cleopatra  and  Mark  Antony 
passed  many  halcyon  hours  of  splendid 
ease  and  amorous  dalliance.  The 
Romans  and  Carthaginians  had  their 
pleasure  craft,  and  so  had  the  Greeks 
and  Venetians. 

It  was  the  custom  of  the  Romans  to 
hold  regattas  of  biremes  and  triremes, 
and  according  to  the  chronicles  a  good 
deal  of  money  changed  hands  over  the 
results.  Every  schoolboy  remember? 
the  exciting  boat  race  between  those 
gallant  Trojan  captains,  Cloanthus  and 


Yacht  Racing  As  a  Sport.       17 

Sergestus,  so  ably  reported  by  one  Ver- 
gil. I  know  that  I  can  never  forget  it. 
That  regatta  cost  me  many  a  cruel 
birching.  In  these  competitions  oars 
only  were  used.  I  fancy  that  sails  were 
not  set  in  those  days  except  when  the 
wind  blew  abaft  the  beam,  the  ancients 
not  being  well  versed  in  the  art  of  beat- 
ing to  windward.  The  swift  ships  in 
which  Father  ^Eneas,  his  faithful 
Achates  and  his  devoted  followers,  fled 
from  Troy,  had,  I  supppse,  but  scanty 
cabin  accommodations  ;  and  when  bold 
Pilot  Palinurus  glanced  at  the  compass 
to  see  if  the  helmsman  was  steering  a 
correct  course,  no  highly  polished  brass 
binnacle  reflected  that  skillful  old  navi- 
gator's bronzed  and  bearded  face. 

The  flagship  of  Columbus  may  fairly 
be  classed  with  the  Argo,  and  so  may 
the  Norse  galley  which  brought  to  the 
rugged  New  England  coast  those  hardy 
salts  who  built  the  windmill  at  New- 
port and  left  their  indelible  marks  on 
the  primeval  granite  rocks  of  that  re- 
gion. 

The  Dutch,  I  think,  were  the  invent- 
ors of  the  sailing  yacht  proper,  and 
from  Holland  the  finest  diversion  in  the 
world  spread  to  Great  Britain,  and  be- 
came the  sport  of  kings.  Quaint  old 
Pepys,  in  his  diary,  tells  us  of  a  sailing 
yacht  named  Mary,  which  was  presented 
by  the  Dutch  East  India  Company  to 
King  Charles  II.  in  the  year  1661. 
Charles  was  a  tip-top  yachtsman,  the 
merry  monarch  being  never  sick  at  sea. 


1 8  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

His  yacht  Mary  was  beaten  by  another 
pleasure  craft  of  English  design,  the 
match  being  the  first  between  sailing 
yachts  in  the  history  of  the  pastime  in 
England.  According  to  Pepys,  the 
Mary  was  snug  and  cozy  below,  quite 
comfortable,  but  not  at  all  luxurious. 
The  king  cruised  much  in  her  up  and 
down  the  English  Channel  in  the  palmy 
days  of  his  reign. 

Three  hundred  years  before,  when 
Marino  Faliero  was  Doge  of  Venice,  a 
merchant  prince  of  that  state  originated 
pleasure  sailing  on  the  peaceful  Adri- 
atic. A  Dutchman  called  Van  Kompf 
transferred  the  craft  to  the  German 
Ocean,  and  gave  it  the  name  of  yacht. 
To  the  Dutch  and  Scandinavian  strain 
in  the  English  blood  is  owing  that  pas- 
sion for  the  sea  which  has.made  yachting 
so  favorite  a  recreation  in  Great  Britain. 
Our  own  love  for  the  sport  is  doubtless 
derived  from  the  same  source. 

Turning  to  our  own  land  the  begin- 
nings are  naturally  more  definite.  We 
know  the  exact  facts,  for  the  New  York 
Yacht  Club  was  organized  aboard  Mr. 
John  C.  Stevens'  schooner  Gimcrack  on 
July  30,  1844,  the  Gimcrack  being  at 
anchor  off  the  Battery.  In  those  days 
there  were  but  few  yachts,  and  most  of 
them  were  small.  The  fittings  of  pleas- 
ure craft  were  then  simple  and  inex- 
pensive, when  compared  with  the  luxuri- 
ous and  costly  appointments  of  the 
palatial  vessels  which  are  our  pride  to- 
day. The  old  Maria,  which  was  the 


Yaclit  Racing  As  a  Sport.        19 

last  yacht  owned  by  Commodore 
Stevens,  would  not  rank  very  high  in 
the  present  fleet  of  magnificent  steam- 
ers, schooners,  sloops  and  cutters.  She 
was  the  finest  and  fastest  yacht  of  her 
day,  having  many  of  what  are  now  term- 
ed "  modern  improvements,"  such  as 
outside  lead,  a  heavily  weighted  main 
centerboard,  also  a  forward  centerboard, 
a  hollow  main  boom  ninety-five  feet 
long  and  nine  feet  in  circumference  at 
its  greatest  girth,  built  of  white  oak 
staves,  with  doweled  and  keyed  edges, 
iron  bands  and  longitudinal  iron  trusses. 
Her  main  sheet  was  fitted  with  a  rub- 
ber compressor. 

Her  former  sailing-master  is  on  rec- 
ord as  saying  :  "  She  would  work  with- 
in seven  points,  and  I  have  sailed  her 
seventeen  knots.  On  her  trial  trip  with 
the  A  merica  along  the  beach  we  beat  her 
so  badly  that  Mr.  Stevens  was  in  doubt 
whether  it  was  good  policy  to  send  her 
to  England  ;  but  as  she  defeated  all  the 
others  by  as  much  as  we  beat  her,  it 
was  finally  decided  she  ought  to  go." 

The  Maria  is  said  to  have  cost  $100,- 
ooo,  a  vast  sum  in  those  days  even  for 
Mr.  Stevens,  who  owned  nearly  all  Wee- 
hawken  and  Hoboken.  It  must  be  re- 
membered, however,  that  she  was  con- 
tinually being  altered  and  improved,  no 
expense  being  spared.  The  equipments 
and  cabin  fittings  of  all  the  pleasure 
craft  of  that  period  were  plain  and 
economical.  The  greater  part  of  their 
cost  was  expended  on  hulls,  spars  and 


THE    VIKING    SHIP. 


Yacht  Racing  As  a  Sport.        21 

rigging,  which  were  of  the  best  mate- 
rial. The  age  was  not  so  luxurious  as 
it  is  to-day.  Though  bronze  and  alumi- 
num hulls,  steel  booms,  wire  rigging, 
silken  sails,  and  the  one  hundred  and 
one  "fads,"  patented  and  otherwise, 
which  are  now  considered  indispensable 
for  racing  were  unknown,  the  yachts 
cost  a  pretty  round  sum,  but  merely  a 
trifle  compared  with  the  crack  clippers 
of  this  year  of  grace. 

The  cabins  of  those  yachts  were  not 
finished  in  costly  hard  woods  carved  by 
artists  and  highly  polished.  No  uphol- 
stery of  silken  plush  or  hangings  of  rich 
tapestry  were  to  be  seen.  Sperm  oil  in 
brass  lamps  of  no  particular  design 
illuminated  the  space  below.  The  fare, 
too,  was  plain  and  simple.  Little  or  no 
wine  of  costly  vintage  was  consumed. 
Honest  claret,  mellow  Medford  rum, 
and  fine  old  whisky  were  the  staple 
beverages  with  which  those  sturdy  salts 
moistened  their  clay,  while  they  solaced 
their  souls  with  Virginia  tobacco  smoked 
in  pipes  of  quaint  Dutch  shape.  It  is 
needless  to  say  that  the  "  400  "  of  half  a 
century  ago  didn't  carry  their  valets 
with  them  while  cruising  on  the  Sound 
or  while  sailing  to  Cape  May. 

The  old  course  of  the  club  was  from 
the  club-house  in  the  Elysian  Fields, 
Hoboken,  out  to  the  Southwest  Spit  and 
back.  The  yachts,  as  a  rule,  were  sailed 
by  amateurs.  No  uniform  was  worn  in 
those  primitive  days,  and  there  was  no 
red  tape  whatever.  But  it  is  questiona- 


22  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

ble  if  a  finer  class  of  amateurs  ever  ex- 
isted than  those  men  who  sailed  the 
yachts  of  the  club  during  the  first  twen- 
ty years  of  its  history. 

If  some  of  those  sturdy  salts  who 
flourished  in  the  good  old  days  of  our 
famous  schooner  America  could  rise 
from  their  snuggeries  in  the  cemeteries 
and  sail  on  the  squadron  cruise  of  the 
New  York  Yacht  Club  next  August,  I 
would  promise  them  a  spectacle  which 
would  astonish  them.  I  would  first 
point  out  to  them  in  Glen  Cove  a  fleet 
of  more  than  one  hundred  yachts,  com- 
prising some  of  the  finest  steam  and 
sailing  craft  in  the  world.  I  would  next 
call  attention  to  the  fairy-like  electric, 
steam,  and  naphtha  launches  darting  be- 
tween the  ships  and  the  shore,  some  of 
them  laden  with  ladies  of  bewitching 
loveliness,  dressed  so  saucily  and  co- 
quettishly  in  nautical  raiment  as  to 
make  a  bachelor's  mouth  water. 

I  would  next  take  my  resurrected 
friends  in  a  naphtha  launch  on  board 
one  of  the  big  steam  }Tachts,  and  while 
on  their  way  thither  they  would  marvel 
at  the  handiness  and  speed  of  the  little 
boat  which  carried  them.  If  it  was  the 
flagship  Corsair  they  visited,  her  owner 
would  be  sure  to  have  the  side  piped  in 
true  man-o'-war  fashion  in  honor  of  the 
old-time  salts.  Climbing  up  the  gang- 
way ladder,  walking  aft  on  the  snowy 
deck,  they  would  be  invited  below,  to 
the  hospitality  of  the  Corsair,  which 
they  would  indeed  be  loath  to  leave. 


Yacht  Racing  As  a  Sport.        23 

I  might  then  possibly  convoy  them 
aboard  the  big  racing  schooner  Colonia 
and  the  new  cup  defender,  and,  after 
gazing  upon  these  two  marine  marvels, 
you  might  wager  that  the  old  chaps 
would  make  a  vigorous  kick  against 
returning  to  their  little  grass-covered 
beds. 

While  rummaging  over  some  musty 
documents  in  the  library  of  an  old 
seafaring  friend  the  other  day,  I  hap- 
pened to  come  across  some  interesting 
memoranda  concerning  the  good  old 
schooner  Giuicrack,  the  first  flagship  of 
the  New  York  Yacht  Club.  From  these 
items  I  gather  that  she  was  fitted  with 
a  fixed  centerboard  of  heavy  plate  iron, 
four  feet  deep  and  fifteen  feet  long,  re- 
sembling the  fin  of  to-day,  but  minus 
the  bulb  of  lead  on  the  base.  This  is 
another  .exemplification  of  the  truth  of 
the  old  adage  that  there  is  nothing  new 
under  the  sun. 

The  pastime  which  was  so  ably  started 
by  those  old  and  gallant  sportsmen  has 
prospered  beyond  belief,  and  no  won- 
der, for  yacht  racing,  in  my  judgment,  is 
the  most  fascinating  and  wholesome 
sport  in  the  world.  Its  devotees  are 
actuated  by  no  mercenary  or  money- 
making  motives,  but  follow  the  pas- 
time for  the  many  delights  its  pursuit 
affords.  The  praiseworthy  ambition 
that  has  for  its  goal  the  winning  of 
sea  trophies  is  devoid  of  all  craving 
after  filthy  lucre,  because  the  prizes 
obtained,  no  matter  whether  in  cash 


24  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

or  plate,  are  trifling  in  comparison 
with  the  first  cost  of  the  yacht  and 
the  incidental  expenses  of  running  her. 
There  are  many  other  reasons  that  may 
be  adduced  to  prove  that  the  pastime 
excels  all  others  ;  but,  in  my  opinion, 
the  most  convincing  argument  that  can 
be  urged  is  that  no  scandal  has  ever 
sullied  the  fair  name  of  the  sport,  and 
that  its  followers  the  wide  world  over 
are  the  best  fellows  that  breathe — gen- 
erous, hearty  and  manly — the  salt  of 
the  earth,  in  fact. 

It  is  a  sport  in  which  the  element  of 
gambling  rarely  enters,  except  in  the 
case  of  international  events,  when  pa- 
triotic pride  impels  men  to  back  their 
country's  flag  with  a  modest  wager.  I 
have  been  a  close  student  of  yachting 
lore  for  more  years  than  I  care  to  recall, 
but  I  know  of  no  instance  where  yacht 
racing  has  made  a  financial  wreck  of 
one  of  its  faithful  adherents.  Of  what 
other  gentlemanly  sport  can  as  much 
be  truthfully  alleged  ? 

If  a  rich  man  has  sons  with  a  leaning 
toward  yachting  he  should  encourage 
its  complete  development.  I  know  of 
no  better  school  for  the  cultivation  of 
all  manly  virtues.  There  is  no  question 
concerning  its  healthfulness,  but  my 
contention  is  that  a  man's  moral  tone  as 
well  as  his  physical  constitution  im- 
proves by  association  with  the  sea. 
Self-reliance,  quickness  of  decision,  ac- 
tion and  resource,  bravery  and  personal 
endurance,  are  qualities  necessary  for 


a  6  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

success  in  life.  Where  can  all  these 
desirable  characteristics  be  acquired 
with  more  ease  and  greater  satisfaction 
than  on  a  racing  vessel,  preferably  one 
of  moderate  size  manned  exclusively  by 
amateurs  or  with  the  aid  of  one  paid 
hand  ? 

It  may  properly  be  remarked  that  the 
love  of  boating  is  innate  and  can  never 
be  acquired.  The  mere  sight  of  the  sea 
has  an  attraction  to  the  true  son  of 
Neptune  as  cogent  as  that  of  the  magnet 
to  the  pole.  He  eagerly  desires  to  be 
afloat  on  it,  and  can  sympathize  with 
Charles  Lever,  who  once  said  he  would 
rather  have  a  plank  for  a  boat  and  a 
handkerchief  for  a  sail  than  resign  him- 
self to  give  up  boating  altogether.  The 
man  who  has  not  the  nautical  instinct 
can  never  come  to  regard  a  boat  with 
more  affection  than  he  does  a  horse- car. 
When  you  rave  ecstatically  of  the  vir- 
tues of  your  little  ship  he  feels  inclined 
to  think  that  you  must  be  half  crazy. 
You  can  never  make  a  yachtsman  out 
of  ^material  such  as  this.  We  cannot  all 
be  sailors,  so  therefore  let  the  cobbler 
stick  to  his  last  and  the  cook  to  the  fore- 
sheet,  where  he  belongs  ! 

The  deduction  from  the  above  is  that 
you  should  be  careful  as  to  the  choice 
of  your  seagoing  chum.  The  most 
congenial  companion  ashore  may  prove 
an  insufferable  bore  afloat.  And  to  tell 
the  truth,  you  ought  not  to  blame  him 
for  the  lack  of  the  nautical  instinct,  but 
rather  yourself  for  inviting  a  person 


Yacht  Racing  As  a  Sport.        27 

lacking  that  saving  qualification  to  go 
sailing  with  you.  A  anticus  nascitur, 
non  fit  is  a  true  adage.  There  is  a  huge 
army  of  our  fellow  creatures  who  think 
with  Dr.  Johnson  that  the  pleasure  of 
going  to  sea  is  getting  ashore  again 
from  a  prison,  where  there  is  also  the 
risk  of  getting  drowned.  But  a  far 
brighter  literary  light  than  he,  Thomas 
Carlyle,  to  wit,  the  crabbed,  the  cynic, 
who  was  ever  ready  to  use  his  mordant 
pen  of  wormwood  in  holding  up  to  ex- 
ecration the  foibles  and  the  sins  of 
humanity  ashore,  was  always  blind  to 
the  faults  of  his  fellow-man  afloat.  The 
acrid  gall  of  his  being,  induced  by  the 
horrors  of  chronic  dyspepsia,  was  con- 
verted into  milk  and  honey  by  the  magic 
influence  of  the  Ocean. 

Who  can  forget  the  account  of  his 
trip  to  Ostend  and  back  in  the  revenue 
cutter  Vigilant  in  1842  ?  He  described 
the  craft  as  a  smart  little  trim  ship  of 
some  250  tons,  rigged,  fitted,  kept  and 
navigated  in  the  highest  style  of  English 
seacraft,  made  every  way  for  sailing 
fast  that  she  may  catch  smugglers. 
Outside  and  inside,  in  furniture,  equip- 
ment, action  and  look,  she  seemed  a 
model,  clean  as  a  lady's  work-box. 

His  biographer,  Froude,  has  told,  of 
their  return  trip,  how  at  midnight  they 
were  in  their  berths  aboard  the  /  'igilant 
running  out  into  the  North  Sea  :  "  The 
wind  fell  in  the  morning  and  they  were 
becalmed.  They  sighted  the  North 
Foreland  before  night,  but  the  air  was 


Yacht  Racing  As  a  Sport.        29 

Still  light,  and  it  was  not  till  the  next 
day  that  they  were  fairly  in  the  river. 
Than  a  rattling  breeze  sprang  up  and 
the  Vigilant,  with  her  vast  mainsail,  her 
vast  balloon  jib,  with  all  the  canvas  set 
which  she  could  carry,  flew  through  the 
water,  passing  sailing  vessels,  passing 
steamers,  passing  everything.  They  car- 
ried on  as  if  they  were  entered  for  a 
racing  cup.  The  jib,  of  too  light  ma- 
terial for  such  hard  driving,  split  with  a 
report  like  a  cannon.  Carlyle  saw  the 
'  Captain's  eyes  twinkle ;  no  other 
change.'  In  ten  minutes  the  flying- 
wreck  was  gathered  in,  another  jib  was 
set  and  standing  in  place  of  it,  and  the 
yacht  sped  on  as  before.  'To  see  men 
so  perfect  in  their  craft,  fit  for  their 
work,  and  fitly  ordered  to  it,'  was  a  real 
consolation  to  him.  There  was  some- 
thing still  left  in  the  public  service  of 
England  which  had  survived  Parlia- 
mentary eloquence.  They  entered  at 
Deptford  and  the  gig  was  lowered  to 
take  the  party  up  to  London. 

"  Five  rowers  with  a  boatswain  ;  men 
unsurpassable,  I  do  not  doubt,  in  boat 
navigation;  strong,  tall  men,  all  clean 
shaved,  clean  washed,  in  clean  blue 
trousers,  in  massive  clean  check  shirts, 
their  black  neckcloths  tied  round  their 
waists,  their  large,  clean  brown  hands, 
cunning  in  the  craft  of  the  sea — it  was 
a  kind  of  joy  to  look  at  it  all.  In  a  few 
minutes  they  shot  us  into  the  Custom 
House  stairs,  and  here,  waving  our 
mild  farewells,  our  travel's  history  con- 


30  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

eluded.  Thus  had  kind  destiny  pro- 
jected us  rocket-wise  for  a  little  space 
into  the  clear  blue  of  heaven  and  free- 
dom. Thus  again  were  we  swiftly  re- 
absorbed  into  the  great,  smoky,  simmer- 
ing crater,  and  London's  soot  volcano 
had  again  re-covered  us." 

I  am  sure  my  readers  will  pardon  me 
for  quoting  at  such  length  from  Carlyle, 
if  only  for  the  reason  that  the  matter  I 
reproduce  is  far  more  interesting  than 
any  I  can  originate.  Besides,  I  need 
the  extract  to  emphasize  my  argument 
concerning  the  healthful  moral  tonic 
of  my  much-loved  sea.  Here  is  atra- 
bilious, doleful,  indignant,  and  scorn- 
ful Carlyle  .cured  temporarily  of  all 
his  mental  disorders  by  a  rattling  rim 
across  the  North  Sea  and  back.  He 
lands  in  a  delightful  frame  of  mind, 
and  has  nothing  but  the  most  pleasant 
reminiscences  of  the  Vigilant,  her  skip- 
per and  her  crew.  The  readers  of  his 
stories  of  other  journeys  by  land  will 
appreciate  the  surprising  contrast. 

Very  few  men  go  into  yachting  for 
the  advertisement  that  it  may  offer.  It  is 
always  possible  for  some  seller  of  quack 
medicines  to  achieve  cheap  notoriety 
by  claiming  that  he  is  about  to  build  a 
yacht  to  defend  or  capture  the  Amer- 
ica's Cup.  If  he  uses  diligently  what- 
ever art  of  claptrap  he  is  endowed  with 
he  will  find  numbers  of  newspapers 
gullible  enough  to  give  him  columns 
and  columns  of  gratuitous  puffs.  The 
public  may  be  beguiled  for  a  time  into 


COMMODORE   JOHN    C.    STEVENS, 
The  Father  of  American  Yachting. 


32  Yachting  Wrinkles 

the  belief  that  his  intentions  are  really 
honest ;  but  the  experienced  yachtsman 
will  not  be  deceived  for  a  moment,  as 
he  knows  that  no  yacht  club  of  repute 
will  father  the  challenge  of  such  a  per- 
son, even  in  the  unlikely  event  of  his 
building  a  yacht  for  the  purpose  of  a 
real  race.  Yacht  clubs  on  both  sides  of 
the  Atlantic,  to  their  credit,  fight  very 
shy  of  such  queer  customers. 

Thus  it  is  that  the  sport  is  confined 
to  gentlemen;  nautical  blacklegs,  black- 
guards, and  '  welshers  "  •  being  un- 
known. The  membership  committees 
of  the  clubs  are  very  discriminating 
and  cautious  as  to  those  whom  they 
admit  ;  and  even  if  a  "  black  sheep " 
succeeds  in  entering  the  flock  his  pres- 
ence is  soon  discovered,  and  he  quietly 
learns  that  his  room  is  more  desirable 
than  his  company.  His  resignation  fol- 
lows as  a  matter  of  course. 

A  yacht  club  composed  principally  of 
men  who  love  the  sport  for  the  precious 
gifts  it  offers,  and  not  for  fashion's  sake, 
or  because  "  It's  the  proper  caper,  you 
know,  to  belong  to  a  yacht  club,  don't 
you  see  ? "  is  an  excellent  school  for  a 
young  man,  both  morally  and  physical- 
ly. In  the  arena  of  professional  sport, 
as  we  all  know,  objectionable  charac- 
ters, unhappily,  fairly  swarm.  It  would 
be  invidious  to  particularize  or  to  single 
out  any  one  sport  as  being  remarkable 
from  the  number  of  black  sheep  among 
its  adherents.  But  of  yachting  it  may 
truly  be  said  that  the  pastime  never  has 


Yacht  Racing  As  a  Sport.       33 

been  disgraced  or  degraded  by  the  pro- 
fessional hands  necessarily  employed  in 
its  service.  Officers  and  men  before  the 
mast  quickly  realize  that  good  conduct 
is  the  only  secret  of  success,  that  brag- 
garts and  bullies  have  no  place  in  its 
symmetry,  and  that  dishonesty  of  any 
kind,  whether  selling  a  race  or  robbing 
a  yacht  owner,  is  quickly  detected  and 
punished.  I  have  never  known  an  in- 
stance of  the  first-named  disgraceful 
offence,  and  the  lack  of  it  speaks 
volumes  in  behalf  of  the  honor  and 
integrity  of  yacht  skippers  the  wide 
world  over.  Be  it  remembered  that 
for  a  sailing-master  to  lose  a  race  would 
be  as  easy  as  for  a  jockey  to  so  ride  a 
horse  that  in  spite  of  his  gameness  or 
his  speed  he  could  not  possibly  win. 
Scandals  such  as  in  the  past  have  made 
the  turf  a  byword  are  happily  un- 
known in  yacht  racing.  In  all  my  ex- 
perience of  yachtsmen  I  never  heard 
one  of  them,  in  his  most  open  and  con- 
fidential moods,  with  his  mind  mellowed 
with  grog,  boast  of  winning  a  race  by 
unfair  or  questionable  methods. 

Many  stockbrokers  race  their  yachts, 
and,  although  the  Stock  Exchange  is 
supposed  to  have  a  peculiar  effect  on 
the  moral  tone  of  its  members,  yet 
when  these  gentlemen  engage  in  a 
yacht  race  they  display  the  nicest  honor, 
the  most  chivalrous  conduct  toward 
their  adversaries,  that  is  indeed  most 
admirable  to  contemplate.  Lawyers, 
too,  who  in  the  exercise  of  their  profes- 


34  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

sion  are  full  of  wiles  and  stratagems, 
lose  their  chief  characteristics  when 
they  enter  their  yacht  club  or  get  aboard 
their  yachts.  The  transformation  is 
magical.  You  fail  to  recognize  in  the 
bluff,  open  and  honest  sea-dog  in  his 
natty  suit  of  serge  the  shrewd  gentle- 
man of  the  long  robe  who,  with  his 
quips  and  his  quirks  and  his  long  list  of 
precedents  and  his  unfailing  gift  of  the 
gab,  has  just  succeeded  in  making  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States 
feel  exquisitely  unhappy.  Talk  of 
Aladdin's  lamp  or  any  other  famous 
storied  talisman  as  you  pleasepbut,  upon 
my  word,  the  sea  has  worked  more  won- 
ders than  them  all  ! 

There  is  much  patriotism  among  our 
yachtsmen,  the  bulk  of  the  Naval  Mili- 
tia of  the  various  States,  possessing  such 
a  volunteer  organization,  consisting  of 
men  who  are  devoted  to  the  sport.  That 
the  United  States  Government  is  much 
indebted  to  yachtsmen  is  now  generous- 
ly conceded  by  our  naval  authorities, 
who,  at  the  outset  of  the  war  with  Spain, 
availed  themselves  of  a  large  fleet  of 
steam  yachts,  which  were  transformed 
with  marvelous  celerity  into  despatch 
boats,  protected  cruisers  and  torpedo- 
boat  destroyers.  They  proved  of  im- 
mense service  to  the  navy,  as  that  arm 
of  our  national  defence  was  destitute  of 
these  almost  indispensable  vessels.  It 
may  be  truthfully  alleged  that  the  navy 
would  have  been  in  an  unpleasant  pre- 
dicament if  it  had  not  been  possible  to 


Vacht  Racing  As  a  Sport.        37 

call  upon  the  steam  yachting  fleet  of  the 
Atlantic  coast.  The  splendid  achieve- 
ment of  the  converted  yacht  Gloucester, 
formerly  the  flagship  of  the  New  York 
Yacht  Club,  which  drove  ashore  two 
Spanish  torpedo  boat  destroyers  near 
Santiago  de  Cuba  on  July  3,  1898,  wilt 
always  be  remembered  as  one  of  the 
most  brilliant  episodes  of  that  "  most 
just  and  charitable  war."  She  was  in 
command  of  Lieut. -Commander  Wain- 
wright,  who  was  executive  officer  of  the 
Maine  when  she  was  blown  up  in 
Havana  harbor  on  February  15,  1898. 

The  generous  response  of  the  Naval 
Militia  to  the  call  of  the  President  and 
the  eagerness  of  yachtsmen  generally 
to  recruit  its  ranks  have  been  highly 
appreciated  Yachtsmen  will  ever  feel 
proud  of  the  gallantry  of  the  Naval 
Militia  because  it  is  so  largely  composed 
of  their  shipmates  and  messmates.  It 
is  needless  to  expatiate  on  the  patriotic 
part  of  my  theme.  The  advantages  of 
yachting  as  a  nursery  for  the  navy  in 
war-time  are  indisputable,  and  will 
occur  to  anybody  who  will  give  the 
matter  due  reflection. 

The  Corinthian  Yacht  Club  of  New 
York,  now  unhappily  extinct,  did  excel- 
lent work  in  its  rather  brief  but  not 
inglorious  career.  It  achieved  much  in 
the  way  of  the  abolition  of  the  per- 
nicious broad  and  shallow  type  of  boat 
which  at  the  time  of  the  Corinthian 
Club's  heyday  was  extremely  popular. 
I  should  be  disingenuous  were  I  not  to 


"  AMERICA,"  1851. 


"  MARIA,"    1851. 


40  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

confess  quite  frankly  that  the  extreme 
type  of  plank- on-edge  cutters  favored 
by  the  leading  lights  of  this  club  was, 
in  my  judgment,  nearly  as  objectionable 
as  the  class  of  craft  it  sought  to  super- 
sede. But  still  it  must  be  said  that  the 
boat  of  to-day,  which  is  a  compromise 
between  the  extremes  mentioned,  owes 
a  share  at  least  of  its  existence  to  the 
bold  efforts  of  the  Corinthians.  To 
abolish  the  "  skimming  dish  "  was  one 
of  the  chief  aims  of  the  club,  and  that  it 
did  yeoman's  service  in  that  direction 
was  one  of  its  greatest  glories. 

An  innovation  made  by  this  club  was 
the  establishment  of  cadets  as  members. 
These  cadets  were  the  sons  or  relatives 
of  members  who  took  an  interest  in  the 
sport.  They  were  entitled  to  many  of 
the  privileges  of  their  elders,  including 
the  right  to  wear  the  club  button  It 
always  impressed  me  that  the  idea  was 
a  good  one.  I  know  of  no  other  club 
that  has  followed  its  example.  Now 
that  the  ban  against  women  has  been 
removed  by  half  a  dozen  clubs  of  im- 
portance, Young  America  may  also  be 
granted  an  opportunity  to  rise  and  shine. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  the  average 
American  boy  is  fond  of  a  sailor's  life. 
It  is  also  true  that  some  of  the  genus 
would  hardly  be  a  joy  in  the  life  of  a 
yacht  club  if  admitted  to  cadetship. 
There  is  every  likelihood,  therefore, 
that  it  may  be  long  before  the  boy 
becomes  an  active  participant  in  yacht- 
ing, so  far  as  clubs  are  concerned.  But 


Yacht  Racing  As  a  Sport.        41 

I  know  several  ambitious  youths  who 
can  handle  their  fathers'  vessels  as  well 
as  a  veteran,  and  who  can  be  depended 
on  to  enter  into  the  vigorous  practice  of 
the  sport  as  soon  as  they  get  old  enough 
to  run  their  own  affairs. 

It  is  my  intention  to  discuss  in  detail 
the  cost  of  running  a  racing  yacht,  in  a 
subsequent  chapter,  but  I  may  say  in  a 
general  way  that  capital  sport  may  be 
had  each  season  at  a  moderate  outlay. 
There  never  before  were  so  many  yacht 
clubs  as  there  are  to-day,  and  never  has 
a  more  intelligent  interest  been  taken 
in  the  economical  pursuit  of  racing. 
Defenders,  Vigilants,  Colonias  and  Em- 
eralds are  vessels  beyond  the  reach  of 
all  but  millionaires.  It  is  only  the  very 
richest  of  our  fellow  citizens  who  can 
enjoy  the  delights  of  racing  these  large 
and  costly  vessels.  But  the  popular  re- 
stricted classes  of  1899  offer  inducements 
that  the  ordinary  man  of  affairs  earning 
a  moderate  income  may  easily  avail 
himself  of  Suppose  that  two  chums, 
who  have  sailed  together  long  enoiigh 
to  find  out  that  their  idiosyncrasies  of 
disposition  and  temperament  will  allow 
them  to  dwell  together  in  amity  afloat, 
form  a  marine  partnership  and  buy 
jointly  a  knockabout  or  raceabout  for 
cup-hunting  and  cruising  purposes.  The 
first  cost  of  the  boat,  complete  and 
delivered,  might  be  $800.  A  second- 
hand boat  might  be  picked  up  much 
cheaper.  The  expense  of  keeping  her 
in  commission  would  be  modest.  No 


42  Yachting  \Vrinklts. 

paid  hand  would  be  necessary j  and  the 
boat  might  be  so  moored  that  one  of 
the  club  hands  would  keep  a  general 
Watch  on  her  to  see  that  no  harm  befell 
her  in  a  summer  storm,  his  recompense 
for  this  being  a  generous  "tip"  at  the 
end  of  the  season. 

In  nearly  all  of  the  yacht  clubs  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  metropolis  special  efforts 
are  made  to  induce  owners  of  small 
craft  to  join,  and  there  are  facilities  for 
the  safe  anchorage  and  also  the  hauling 
out  of  the  club's  mosquito  squadron. 
In  this  the  clubs  act  wisely,  for  the 
small  classes  are  really  the  life  of  the 
organization,  which,  without  their  active 
interest,  might  stand  a  fair  chance  of 
perishing  of  inanition. 

Most  pleasures  are  evanescent  when 
compared  with  the  comfort  that  a  sea- 
dog  gets  from  fixing  up  his  cabin  for 
the  season's  sport.  The  ingenuity  dis- 
played in  making  the  most  of  the  neces- 
sarily limited  quarters  at  his  disposal, 
the  stowage  of  his  "  dunnage,"  so  as  to 
be  able  to  put  his  hand  on  anything  at 
a  moment's  notice  in  the  dark,  the  ca- 
pacity of  creating  a  home-like  interior 
out  of  chaotic  surroundings,  call  out 
every  faculty. 

The  first  sail  on  a  new  boat  which  is 
your  very  own  causes  a  thrill  of  joy.  To 
see  the  noble  craft  respond  to  the  slightest 
touch  of  the  tiller,  to  watch  her  gradu- 
ally eat  her  way  to  windward  in  the 
teeth  of  a  merry  breeze,  with  a  shining 
furrow  of  foam  in  her  wake  and  her 


Yacht  Racing  As  a  Sport.        43 

sharp  cutwater  cleaving  the  blue  billows, 
and  when,  with  sheet  eased  off  and  wind 
abeam,  her  lee  rail  almost  awash,  she  puts 
on  an  extra  spurt — all  these  are  ecstatic 
raptures  which  your  poor  land-lubber 
has  never  experienced. 

Yachts  are  fickle  jades,  as  all  who'have 
been  victims  of  their  whims  and  humors 
must  fain  concede.  It  is  no  wonder  that 
they  belong  to  the  feminine  gender.  No 
coquette  can  be  coyer  or  more  difficult 
to  pl.-ise  than  the  highly  strung  racing 
yacht.  On  occasions  it  is  hard  to  realize 
that  she  is  an  inanimate  fabric.  I  have 
known  one  to  develop  nerves  and  even 
hysteria.  It  takes  a  man  of  great  judg- 
ment and  infinite  tact  and  good  temper 
to  get  the  best  speed  out  of  a  modern 
racehorse.  Qualifications  similar  and 
quite  as  highly  developed  are  necessary 
to  the  successful  yacht  skipper,  be  he 
amateur  or  be  he  professional. 

The  ambition  to  excel  in  the  art  of 
yacht  racing  has  been  the  means  of  in- 
ducing a  great  number  of  our  fashion- 
able youth,  both  golden  and  gilded,  to 
cultivate  the  sport  of  yachting.  The 
wholesome  and  invigorating  influence  of 
sea  life  and  salt  water  have  developed 
scores  of  dudes  into  men;  and  the  one- 
design  classes,  now  so  popular,  do  much 
to  keep  young  fellows  out  of  mischief. 

Racing  in  the  smaller  classes  is  en- 
couraged by  all  the  clubs  except  one — 
the  New  York  Yacht  Club — and  open 
regattas  are  plentiful,  to  which  the  boats 
belonging  to  all  recognized  clubs  are 


44  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

not  only  eligible  but  cordially  welcome. 
The  Yacht  Racing  Association  of  Long 
Island  Sound  has  made  a  specialty  of 
encouraging  and  promoting  these  open 
regattas,  and  the  result  is  a  programme 
of  most  attractive  events,  with  no  con- 
flicting dates,  that  offer  golden  oppor- 
tunities to  ambitious  amateurs  to  win 
trophies  of  their  skill  and  daring.  All 
existing  classes  are  invited  to  take  part 
in  these  competitions,  as  the  most  gen- 
erous and  sportsmanlike  spirit  of  com- 
radeship pervades  the  yacht  clubs  of  the 
Sound;  so,  if  a  man  prefers  a  catboat  or 
a  sloop  or  a  yawl  to  a  knockabout,  he 
will  have  many  opportunities  of  gratify- 
ing his  yacht-racing  instincts.  The 
rules  of  this  Yacht  Racing  Association 
are  so  fair  and  liberal  that  the  most 
carping  of  critics  can  find  nothing  in 
them  to  cavil  at.  A  hearty  welcome  is 
accorded  the  owners  of  all  visiting  boats 
by  the  club  holding  the  regatta,  and 
nothing  can  be  more  satisfactory  than 
the  system  which  so  happily  obtains  in 
this  present  year  of  grace. 

The  benefits  bestowed  by  this  asso- 
ciation on  the  yachtsmen  of  New  York 
and  Connecticut  are  rivaled  by  those 
offered  to  Eastern  yachtsmen  by  the 
Yacht  Racing  Association  of  Massachu- 
setts. Similar  associations  exist  on  the 
Lakes  and  the  Pacific  Coast,  while  the 
International  Yacht  Racing  Union,  es- 
tablished in  1897,  promises  to  wield  a 
powerful  and  benignant  influence  in  the 
immediate  future  on  the  promotion  of 


Yacht  Racing  As  a  Sport.        45 

international  matches,  which,  in  the  past, 
have  proved  so  beneficial  to  the  sport. 

It  may  thus  be  deduced  that  the  out- 
look for  sound  and  thriving  sport  was 
never  brighter  or  more  promising  than 
it  is  to-day.  White  sails  of  racing  craft 
dot  the  waters  of  our  coast  line  where 
the  sport  is  practicable.  In  the  inland 
lakes  the  pastime,  too,  is  pursued  with 
zeal  and  intelligence.  The  advance  and 
progress  made  in  the  sport  date,  strange 
to  say,  from  1880,  when  what  is  known 
as  the  "  cutter  craze  "  first  made  itself 
manifest  in  this  country.  In  the  light 
of  history  it  should  be  candidly  con- 
ceded that  the  lessons  learned  from  the 
Scotch  cutters  Madge,  Clara  and  Mi- 
nerva proved  of  incalculable  benefit  to 
the  sport  in  America.  Broad-minded 
Britishers  will  also  admit  that  the  vic- 
tories of  moderate  and  able  compromise 
craft  like  Puritan  and  Mayflower,  com- 
bining the  American  breadth  of  beam 
and  the  centerboard  with  the  British 
outside  lead,  over  such  representative 
English  cutters  as  Genesta  and  Galatea 
caused  the  alteration  of  the  British  rule 
which  penalized  beam  and  which  re- 
sulted in  the  building  of  vessels  like 
Britannia,  Valkyrie  and  Meteor. 

The  adoption  by  the  English  of  cot- 
ton duck  for  sails,  and  also  of  the  Yan- 
kee laced  mainsail,  show  how  our  trans- 
Atlantie  cousins  appreciate  a  good  thing 
when  its  advantages  are  made  manifest. 
The  eager  way  in  which  they  snapped 
up  the  Herreshoff  fin-keel  is  further 


46  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

proof  of  the  active  interest  the  British 
designers  take  in  the  development  of 
American  yacht  naval  architecture  and 
how  keen  they  are  to  avail  themselves 
of  any  new  "  wrinkles  "  in  hull,  sails  or 
rigging  that  Yankee  genius  may  invent. 

And  while  the  British  eye  is  kept 
wide  open  in  our  direction,  it  must  not 
be  thought  that  we  are  blind  to  the  do- 
ings of  our  rivals  across  the  sea.  The 
friendly  feelings  that  have  been  en- 
hanced between  the  two  great  English- 
speaking  nations  ever  since  the  outbreak 
of  the  late  war  with  Spain  did  much 
to  make  another  race  for  the  America 's 
Cup  possible  and  popular,  and  neither 
nation  can  afford  to  nap  when  the  yacht- 
ing supremacy  of  the  sea  is  at  stake. 

Queen  Victoria's  policy  has  ever  been 
to  encourage  yacht  racing,  as  the  many 
Queen's  Cups  she  has  presented  to  yacht 
clubs  during  her  long  reign  abundantly 
prove.  The  most  popular  act  of  her 
life,  so  far  as  professional  yacht  sailors 
are  concerned,  took  place  on  April  8, 
1897,  when  she  visited  the  Prince  of 
Wales'  cutter  Britannia,  at  Nice,  and 
presented  Capt.  John  Carter,  her  skip- 
per, with  the  medal  of  the  Victoria 
Order,  accompanying  the  gift  with  a 
graceful  compliment.  In  America  the 
yachting  fraternity,  both  amateur  and 
professional,  has  received  no  encourage- 
ment whatever  from  the  Congress,  and 
is  still  subject  to  harassing  legislation. 
This  is  much  to  be  regretted,  as  it  is 
without  question  bad  and  unwise  policy. 


II. 

THE    RACING   YACHT. 

SOME    REMARKS  ON    TH  E   MA  IKR1AL,   (  ONS'I  KUC'l  ION 
AM)    SELECTION    OF    A    VESSEL. 

IT  is  a  matter  of  some  difficulty  toad- 
vise  a  prospective  yachtsman  as  to 
the  acquisition  of  a  racing  craft. 
There  are  two  courses  open  to  him. 
He  can  either  build  or  buy  ready-made. 
If  the  question  of  money  is  purely  a 
secondary  consideration,  the  wealthy 
amateur  will  probably  feel  inclined  to 
give  an  order  to  a  fashionable  naval 
architect  for  the  dovvn-to-date  design 
of  a  tip-top  craft  in  the  class  on  which 
he  has  set  his  heart.  He  will  find  plen- 
ty of  accommodating  builders  who  will 
meet  his  views  conscientiously  and  do 
their  best  to  follow  out  the  minutiae  of 
the  draughtsman's  design.  Swell  sail- 
makers — and  we  have  some  of  the  best 
on  earth — will  supply  his  craft  with  a 
splendidly  fitting  and  sitting  suit  of 
muslin,  and  he  can  hire  a  crack  skipper 
who  will  teach  him  all  the  tricks  of  the 
most  expert  timoneer. 

Mr.    George    L.  Watson,  the    famous 
Scotch  yacht  designer,  in  a  lecture  on 


THE   CUTTFR    "  ORIVA." 


7 he  Racing   Yacht.  49 

"  Progress  in  Yachting  and  Yacht 
Building,"  delivered  early  in  i88r,  said  : 

"  As  prophecy  nowadays  seems  to  be 
one  of  the  branches  of  naval  architec- 
ture, and  we  have  been  told  by  Sir  E.  J. 
Reed  and  others  what  kind  of  ships  the 
next  generation  are  to  have,  I  am  anx- 
ious to  keep  abreast  of  the  age,  and 
here'with  present  you  with  the  outline 
specification  of  a  ic-tonner  for  the  sea- 
son 2000.  You  see  I  keep  myself  pretty 
safe,  as  but  few  of  us  will  be  alive  to  see 
her  sail.  The  dimensions  I  won't  ven- 
ture on.  Some  yachting  authorities  as- 
sert that  you  have  only  to  make  the 
boat  long  enough  and  heavy  enough,  to 
beat  all  existing  racing  craft;  and  it 
seems  strange  that,  with  this  knowledge 
in  their  possession,  they  should  not  only 
have  had  sufficient  self-denial  to  resist 
the  building  of  certain  successes,  but 
have  even  gone  the  length  of  turning 
out  duffers  of  normal  dimensions.  I 
think  there  is  just  a  little  more  in  it 
than  that,  and  can't  believe  that  a  10- 
tonner  80  feet  long  could  ever  be  a  suc- 
cess. 

"  We  have  not  exhausted  the  possibil- 
ities of  form  yet,  and  really  know  very 
little  more  about  it  than  Solomon  did 
when  he  confessed  his  inability  to  un- 
derstand 'the  way  of  a  ship  on  the  sea; ' 
and  when  we  do  arrive  at  perfection  in 
shape,  we  can  set  to,  then,  to  look  out 
for  better  material. 

"The  frames  and  beams,  then,  of  my 
ideal  ship  shall  be  of  aluminum,  the 


50  Yachting   Wrinkles. 

plating  below  water  of  manganese 
bronze  and  the  topsides  of  aluminum, 
while  I  think  it  will  be  well  to  deck  her, 
too,  with  that  lightest  of  metals,  as  good 
yellow  pine  will  soon  be  seen  only  in 
a  museum.  For  ballast,  of  course  we 
should  have  nothing  but  platinum,  un- 
less the  owner  grudged  the  expense, 
when  we  might  put  the  top  tier  of  gold. 

"  But  by  that  date  I  hope  we  won't 
care  for  sailing  in  such  a  sluggish  ele- 
ment as  the  water.  I  firmly  believe  that 
some  day  the  air  will  become  as  easily 
traversed  as  the  earth  or  ocean." 

Now,  in  1881,  Mr.  Watson's  fame  as  a 
naval  architect  was  quite  firmly  estab- 
lished, but  as  a  prophet  he  was  without 
honor  in  his  own  and  every  other  coun- 
try. It  is  therefore  remarkable  that 
his  prediction,  made  presumably  in  play- 
ful jest,  was,  in  a  great  measure,  ful- 
filled not  very  long  after.  A  torpedo 
boat  of  manganese  bronze  was  actually 
built  in  England  for  the  French  Govern- 
ment in  1891.  Then  followed  the  con- 
struction in  France  of  the  yacht  Ven- 
dencsse,  built  almost  altogether  of  alu- 
minum, in  1892,  and  a  series  of  French 
torpedo  boats  of  aluminum  in  1895-6. 
The  Yankee  Vigilant  was  constructed  of 
Tobin  bronze  below  the  water-line  and 
of  steel  above.  She  had  a  hollow  bronze 
centerboard  and  a  solid  bronze  rudder. 
The  latest  development  of  Mr.  Watson's 
fanciful  idea  was  introduced  in  Defender 
in  1895.  This  celebrated  yacht  has  top- 
side plating,  deck  beams,  deck-strapping 


52  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

and  upper  fittings  of  aluminum,  4  per 
cent,  nickel  alloy,  while  the  bottom 
plating  is  of  bronze.  The  stern,  frames, 
floor -plates,  stiffening -angles,  bilge- 
stringers,  inverted  angle-bulbs,  under- 
de'ck  beams,  the  two  deck  beams  inclos- 
ing mast,  tie-plates  round  mast,  step- 
ping-socket,  bed- plate  fittings,  and  sup- 
ports and  chain-plates  are  of  steel.  All 
the  rivets  are  of  bronze,  thus  completing 
an  intimate  association  of  the  three 
metals,  which  was  followed  in  a  short 
time  by  inevitable  general  corrosion. 

Advocates  of  aluminum  as  a  fit  metal 
for  use  in  shipbuilding  point  out  that  no 
effort  at  insulation  of  any  kind  whatso- 
ever \v.as  made,  not  even  the  simple  pre- 
cautions which  would  have  been  insisted 
on  in  an  ordinary  case  of  steel  and  bronze 
construction.  Defender  was  built  with 
only  one  purpose  in  view — the  winning 
of  a  series  of  races.  Her  subsequent 
proceedings  were  a  matter  of  no  interest 
to  her  owners  and  builder.  Had  she 
been  built  of  steel  throughout  she  would 
have  cost  about  half  as  much  as  she  act- 
ually did,  and  would  have  been  good  for 
fifteen  years  of  hard  sailing  if  built  up 
to  Lloyd's  rules.  But  she  might,  in  that 
case,  have  failed  to  fulfill  her  only  reason 
for  existence — the  beating  of  Lord  Dun- 
raven's  Valkyrie  III. 

The  scientist  who  will  invent  some 
alloy  to  combine  with  aluminum  which 
will  make  the  metal  free  from  corrosion 
when  immersed  in  salt  water  will  confer 
a  great  boon  on  the  builders  of  racing 


The  Racing  Yacht.  53 

yachts  and,  incidentally,  will  enrich  him- 
self. That  this  problem  will  be  solved 
eventually  there  is  little  doubt.  I  hope 
that  Mr.  Watson  will  live  to  see  his 
prophecy  realized,  even  to  the  extent 
of  aerial  navigation. 

At  present,  however,  the  heavy  first 
cost  of  aluminum  and  its  short  life,  when 
exposed  to  the  erosive  action  of  sea 
water,  bar  its  use  in  the  construction  of 
racing  yachts,  except  when  the  senti- 
ment of  defending  or  regaining  an  his- 
toric national  trophy  is  indulged  in  by  a 
syndicate  of  capitalists.  Probably  no 
single  millionaire  would  have  gone  to 
the  expense  of  the  Defender,  but  when 
the  price  of  her  was  divided  up  among 
several,  the  plethoric  purses  were  not  so 
very  much  depleted  after  all. 

Aluminum  as  a  material  for  yachts 
has  been  an  interesting  subject  to  me 
ever  since  it  was  first  used  in  shipbuild- 
ing. The  aluminum  used  in  the  De- 
fender had  an  alloy  of  from  12  to  15  per 
cent,  of  nickel.  The  majority  of  the 
plates  used  were  fa  and  3/s  of  an  inch  in 
thickness.  The  heaviest  plate  weighed 
about  200  pounds,  was  38^4  inches  wide, 
13  feet  10  inches  long,  and  ^  of  an  inch 
thick.  This  plate  gave  an  ultimate  ten- 
sile strength  of  40,780  pounds  per  square 
inch,  an  elongation  of  10  per  cent,  in  2 
inches,  and  the  reduction  of  area  at  the 
point  of  fracture  was  14.75  Per  cent- 
Each  and  every  plate  iised  was  tested. 

The  Defender  was  constructed  of 
aluminum  plating  from  the  water-line 


54  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

up.  Her  deck  beams,  lateral  and  diag- 
onal braces  under  the  deck,  a  stringer 
plate  connecting  the  deck  beams  with 
the  sides  of  the  vessel,  continuous 
throughout  her  length,  and  the  rail 
were  of  aluminum.  The  same  metal 
was  also  used  for  dead-light  frames  and 
covers  and  small  interior  fittings.  The 
sheaves  of  all  her  blocks  were  of  alumi- 
num. 

I  have  read  nearly  everything  that 
scientific  men  have  written  on  the  sub- 
ject of  aluminum  as  used  in  Defend- 
er, and  from  my  reading  I  deduce 
that  the  metal  failed  to  prove  satisfac- 
tory because  proper  care  was  not  taken 
to  prevent  oxidation  by  galvanic  action. 
In  the  first  place,  bronze  rivets  were 
used  instead  of  aluminum  rivets,  or  iron 
rivets  galvanized.  Secondly,  the  insidcs 
of  the  rivet  holes  were  not  coated  with 
white  lead,  nor  were  the  rivets  them- 
selves dipped  in  white  lead  or  paraffin e 
before  driving,  as  might  easily  have 
been  done.  In  fact,  no  precaution  what- 
ever was  taken  to  minimize  galvanic  ac- 
tion. 

Mr.  Herreshoff  was  advised  to  lay 
strips  of  heavy  canton  flannel  well 
soaked  in  white  lead  between  the  lap- 
ping aluminum  plates  of  the  topsides 
and  the  bronze  plates  of  the  underbody, 
and  then  rivet  up  with  the  flannel  be- 
tween the  edges  of  the  two  plates,  form- 
ing a  neutral  joint.  This  precaution 
was  not  taken,  however,  the  result  be- 
ing great  corrosion  where,  through  the 


The  Racing  Yacht.  57 

junction  of  the  two  metals,  galvanic 
action  set  in. 

As  a  general  axiom  it  may  be  averred 
that  whenever  brass  or  copper  comes 
into  direct  contact  with  aluminum  ex- 
posed to  sea- water,  corrosion  is  very 
rapid.  It  may  also  be  averred  that 
aluminum  rivets  can  be  made  fully 
as  strong  as  those  of  any  other  metal. 
Thus  there  is  no  good  reason  for  using 
bronze  rivets  in  the  construction  of  an 
aluminum  vessel. 

The  conclusion  I  arrive  at  is  that 
aluminum  as  a  material  for  a  racing 
yacht  should  not  be  condemned  until 
further  experiments  have  been  made. 
In  strength  and  lightness  it  surpasses 
every  other  metal. 

It  is  the  general  opinion  oi  ship- 
builders that  the  best  system  of  con- 
struction is  to  use  one  material  alone  in 
a  vessel.  Let  her  be  all  wood  or  all  one 
metal,  and  then  the  strains  will  be  equal 
and  corrosion  will  be  avoided.  There 
'is  no  question  that  wood  should  be  used 
in  all  of  the  smaller  craft  up  to  the  51- 
footers,  at  any  rate.  Strength  and  light- 
ness may  be  most  effectually  combined 
by  the  double-skin  system  of  construc- 
tion, which  is  by  all  odds  the  most  ef- 
ficient and  lasting.  In  boats  larger  than 
these,  steel  may  be  the  material  of  the 
hull.  Metal  in  small  craft  is  necessarily 
so  thin  that  unsightly  bulges  often  dis- 
figure the  topsides  of  vessels  built  of 
sheet-iron,  ships'  lifeboats,  for  instance. 
It  is  true,  however,  that  these  metal 


58  YacJiting  Wrinkles. 

boats  are  light  and  durable,  and  when 
hung  to  a  ship's  davits  do  not  warp  or 
shrink  or  become  leaky  when  exposed 
to  the  burning  rays  of  a  tropical  sun. 
These  qualities,  though  of  great  value 
in  the  craft  indicated,  do  not  apply  to 
small  pleasure  vessels,  especially  when 
the  great  heat  of  metal  vessels  in  our 
hot  summers  is  taken  into  consideration. 
Steel  corrodes  quickly  and  soon  gets 
foul.  It  should,  therefore,  be  kept  well 
protected  with  a  preservative  anti-foul- 
ing  paint. 

Old-fashioned  yachtsmen,  a  class  of 
people  almost  extinct,  prefer  wood  to 
any  other  material  in  sailing  yachts  of 
even  the  largest  size.  But  the  most 
prejudiced  of  these  ancient  mariners 
are  forced  to  admit,  however  reluctant- 
ly, that  wood  will  not  satisfactorily  stand 
the  jarring  strains  of  powerful  modern 
marine  engines.  It  would,  of  course,  be 
possible  to  build  an  oaken  vessel  strong 
enough  to  sustain  the  stress  of  the 
machinery,  but  the  timbers  would  have 
to  be  bulky  indeed,  and  the  weight 
would  be  far  greater  than  if  steel  were 
made  use  of  exclusively. 

A  friend  of  mine  who  is  a  devoted 
yachtsman,  as  well  as  a  pretty  fair  hand 
with  the  rod  and  gun,  having  lost  the 
bulk  of  his  money  by  an  unfortunate 
investment,  was  able  by  the  exercise  of 
ingenuity  to  build  for  himself  a  smart 
and  able  cruising  schooner  at  a  very 
moderate  cost,  and  also  to  spend  a 
winter  very  enjoyably.  This  is  how 


The  Racing  Yacht.  59 

he  went  about  it :  In  the  first  place  lie 
had  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  type 
of  boat  he  wanted,  and  had  a  smatter- 
ing of  the  shipbuilders'  art,  being  moder- 
ately handy  with  tools.  So  when  he 
went  to  a  naval  architect  he  was  able 
to  give  an  intelligent  notion  of  his  real 
requirements,  and  wasted  no  precious 
professional  time. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  days  the  de- 
signer furnished  him  with  the  requisite 
working  plans  and  specifications,  all  ad- 
mirably clear  and  concise,  and  easily 
comprehensible  by  an  intelligent  me- 
chanic. Armed  with  these  plans  he 
packed  up  his  traps,  not  forgetting  his 
guns,  and  started  for  a  certain  seaport 
in  Maine,  where  some  of  the  best  coast- 
ing vessels  in  the  world  are  built  and 
where  suitable  timber  is  to  be  had  at  a 
very  low  price.  Labor  is  cheap  and  so 
is  the  cost  of  living.  He  fell  in  with  a 
skillful  shipwright  who  owned  a  ship- 
yard in  the  harbor,  and  he  made  satis- 
factory terms  for  the  building  of  the 
vessel,  the  construction  of  which  he 
generally  supervised.  She  was  built  un- 
dercover, and  thus  was  not  damaged  in 
the  least  by  the  severe  winter  weather. 
My  friend  made  the  seaport  his  head- 
quarters, his  expenses  averaging  no 
more  than  $i  a  day.  He  went  on  sev- 
eral enjoyable  shooting  expeditions,  and 
was  much  benefited  in  health  by  the 
pure  and  bracing  air. 

The  best  of  it  was  that  by  this  means 
he  became  the  owner  of  a  very  service- 


The  Racing  Vac  Jit.  61 

able  vessel  All  her  timbers  were  sound 
and  seasoned.  The  estimate  was  so 
reasonable  that,  instead  of  galvanized 
fastenings,  which  the  specifications 
called  for,  he  found  that  he  could  af- 
ford yellow  metal  and  copper  bolts 
wherever  prudence  dictated  their  use. 

Being  a  "  crank,"  as  most  good 
yachtsmen  are,  when  the  vessel  was  in 
frame  he  gave  every  inch  of  her  a  right- 
down  good  soaking  with  kerosene  oil, 
applying  as  much  as  the  dry  wood  was 
able  to  absorb.  He  says  this  process 
preserves  the  wood  almost  indefinitely. 
All  the  oak  was  fall-cut,  and  not  a 
sappy  timber  found  a  place  in  the 
shapely  hull. 

In  the  late  spring  she  was  launched 
and  rigged,  and,  when  fitted  out,  her 
owner  sailed  her  to  New  York,  where 
the  nautical  critics  carefully  surveyed 
her  and  pronounced  her  good. 

I  would  not,  however,  advise  the 
average  man  to  follow  my  friend's 
example.  The  man  of  whom  I  write 
was  exceptionally  well  qualified  and 
equipped  for  the  undertaking  and  car- 
rying out  of  such  a  job.  Outside  of  his 
general  knowledge  of  shipbuilding  and 
seamanship,  he  was  a  shrewd  business 
man,  with  plenty  of  tact  and  knowledge 
of  the  world.  It  would  be  difficult  for 
the  most  rascally  of  shipbuilders  to  get 
the  better  of  him.  He  was  also  favored 
by  good  fortune,  insomuch  as  the  hon- 
esty and  skill  of  the  builder  of  his  yacht 
were  concerned.  He  tells  me  he  saved 


62  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

twenty-five  per  cent,  in  the  actual  cost 
of  the  vessel  if  built  anywhere  in  the 
neighborhood  of  New  York.  Moreover, 
he  got  a  boat  capable  of  being  classed 
in  the  highest  standard  at  Lloyd's  and 
good  for  a  quarter  of  a  century's  hard 
cruising.  Having  seen  the  boat  put 
together,  he  never  felt  anxious  about 
straining  her  in  a  squall.  There  was 
no  skimping  of  quantity  in  material  to 
procure  a  flimsy  kind  of  lightness.  Hull, 
spars  and  rigging  were  all  scientifically 
adapted  to  the  heaviest  strains  they 
were  likely  to  encounter,  and  a  suf- 
ficient margin  of  extra  strength  was 
added  in  case  of  emergencies.  The 
schooner  has  been  in  commission  now 
for  several  years,  her  owner  living 
aboard  her  practically  all  the  year 
round.  He  has  cruised  south  as  far  as 
the  Caribbean  Sea  and  north  to  Labra- 
dor. He  is  his  own  skipper,  and  a  better 
seaman  and  navigator  never  broke  a 
biscuit  on  his  knee  or  drank  grog  out  of 
a  pannikin. 

The  only  objection  that  can  be  made 
against  iron  or  steel  yachts  in  the  larger 
classes  is  that  their  bottoms  foul  so 
rapidly.  So  far  as  their  capacity  to 
resist  stress  and  strain  is  concerned, 
nothing  can  be  said  against  them.  The 
first  English  iron  yacht  was  the  Mos- 
quito, designed  by  Tom  Waterman  and 
built  on  the  Thames  in  1848.  The  first 
American  iron  yacht  was  the  cutter 
Vindex,  designed  by  Mr.  A.  Gary  Smith 
in  1870  for  Mr.  Robert  Center. 


The  Racing  Yac/it.  63 

Nickel  steel,  as  its  name  implies,  is  an 
alloy  of  steel  with  nickel.  It  possesses 
all  the  qualities  of  steel  for  shipbuild- 
ing purposes,  but  it  has,  in  addition,  a 
breaking  strength  of  forty  tons  to  the 
square  inch,  as  against  twenty-seven  for 
ordinary  steel.  The  twenty-rater  Drag- 
on Iff.,  built  in  1893,  had  frames  and 
beams  of  this  metal,  which  I  think  is 
destined  to  be  much  used  in  the  con- 
struction of  racing  yachts. 

The  composite  system  of  construction, 
namely,  steel  or  iron  frames  and  wood- 
en planking,  is  in  my  judgment  open  to 
objection.  The  frames  of  a  racing  yacht 
are  of  course  as  light  as  the  naval  ar- 
chitect dares  to  make  them  in  his  effort 
to  reduce  weight  in  every  detail  of  hull, 
spars  and  rigging.  When  it  comes  to 
pass  that  the  seams  of  a  composite  yacht 
require  calking  the  strain  of  driving 
the  oakum  home  produces  such  a  pres- 
sure on  the  bolts  that  fasten  the  planks 
to  the  frames  that  they  snap  off. 

The  composite  system  was  introduced 
in  1860  on  the  Clyde,  many  China  clip- 
pers being  built  after  that  plan.  Among 
the  first  composite  yachts  were  Nyan- 
sa  and  Oiinara,  built  by  Robert  Steele 
&  Co.,  of  Greenock,  about  1867.  All 
the  large  racing  yachts  of  the  pres- 
ent time  that  are  not  constructed  of 
metal  have  steel  frames,  as  a  sufficient- 
ly light  wooden  frame  could  not  sustain 
the  immense  strains  of  the  large  sail 
plan  and  the  heavy  weight  of  the  out- 
side lead 


64  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

If  a  man  sets  his  heart  on  having  a 
composite  vessel  he  should  take  care 
that  her  skin  is  of  double  construction, 
one  layer  of  plank  overlapping  the 
other,  with  a  liberal  luting  of  white  lead 
between.  Thus  no  calking  whatever 
is  necessary  ;  the  vessel  is  tight  as  a 
bottle  and  much  stronger  than  if  the 
old-fashioned  plan  is  followed.  The 
only  objection  is  the  expense. 

John  Harvey,  the  English  yacht  de- 
signer and  builder,  who  was  first  to 
introduce  the  double-skin  system  in 
yachts,  told  me  once  that  many  com- 
posite yachts  were  hauled  out  in  his 
yard  at  Wivenhoe  to  be  repaired.  He 
had  been  inside  several  of  them  when 
being  calked,  and  seen  the  nuts  break 
off  and  roll  down  in  the  bilges  by  the 
score  as  the  oakum  driven  by  the  calk- 
ing iron  wedged  the  planks  apart.  This 
result  is  so  obvious  that  it  requires  no 
further  comment. 

It  may  well  be  urged  that  it  is  scarce- 
ly worth  while  to  incur  so  much  more 
expenditure  of  hard  cash  on  a  boat  that 
may  be  obsolete,  so  far  as  racing  is  con- 
cerned, after  two  or  three  seasons;  and 
this  argument  will  probably  prevail 
with  the  average  yacht  owner.  I  con- 
sider it  my  duty,  nevertheless,  to  call  at- 
tention to  the  defects  of  the  system 
generally  in  use,  and  to  the  advantages 
of  the  double  skin;  and  I  will  give  two 
striking  illustrations  which  I  think  will 
prove  my  case. 

Mr.  Coate's  smart  lo-ton  cutter  Madge, 


The  Racing   Yacht.  67 

designed  by  Mr.  G.  L.  Watson,  was  a 
single-skin  craft.  She  was  built  in  1879 
and  created  a  great  sensation  when  she 
came  to  this  country  and  beat  all  our 
skimming-dishes.  In  1890  she  was  al- 
most ready  to  fall  to  pieces,  and  her 
rickety  frame  had  to  be  strengthened 
with  iron  knees  and  fitted  with  new 
topsides.  In  1894  she  was  condemned 
as  unseaworthy  and  fit  only  for  the 
junkman. 

On  the  other  hand  we  have  the  cut- 
ter Onva,  designed  by  John  Harvey  and 
launched  in  1881.  She  is  of  the  double- 
skin  construction,  lighter  in  proportion 
to  her  size  than  Madge,  and  to-day  she 
is  as  strong  and  stanch  as  she  was 
when  she  was  launched. 

If  the  prospective  builder  decides  to 
use  wood  as  the  material  for  his  boat, 
he  will  find  that  American  elm  is  the 
best  material  for  the  keel  and  the  gar- 
board  strakes.  When  entirely  sub- 
merged, elm  will  last  for  half  a  century 
or  more,  but  is  especially  liable  to  de- 
cay between  wind  and  water. 

White  oak  should  be  used  for  the 
stem,  sternpost,  knightheads,  apron, 
deadwoods  and  futtocks  The  timbers 
should  be  of  oak  or  hackmatack,  and 
the  planking  of  yellow  pine.  This  ma- 
terial, if  well  seasoned  and  properly  put 
together,  should  insure  a  sound  boat. 
Yellow-metal  fastenings  should  be  used 
below  the  water-line,  if  the  expense  is 
not  too  much  for  the  owner's  purse.  If 
that  should  prove  the  case,  galvanized 


68  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

iron  may  take  their  place.  Personally, 
I  believe  in  having  the  hull  as  perfect 
as  possible.  I  would  dispense  with 
costly  gingerbread -work  below  deck, 
having  everything  cozy  and  attractive, 
and  would  expend  the  extra  money,  thus 
saved,  on  hull,  spars  and  rigging,  yellow- 
metal  fastenings  being  my  first  object. 
Of  course,  if  I  were  building  a  "  freak" 
for  a  couple  of  seasons'  sport,  I  wouldn't 
use  a  fragment  of  copper  in  her  con- 
struction. 

It  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  that  there  is 
absolutely  no  market  for  an  outclassed 
racer.  For  that  reason  I  cannot  recom- 
mend the  expenditure  of  much  money 
on  the  construction  of  a  craft  whose  life 
in  the  usual  course  of  events  is  limited 
to  perhaps  three  seasons.  Double  skins 
and  copper  fastenings  would  be  absurd- 
ly out  of  place  in  such  craft.  But  when 
a  man  builds  a  cruiser,  there  is  no  reason 
why  she  should  not  be  as  sound  and 
strong  as  a  judicious  expenditure  of 
money  can  make  her. 

There  is  much  to  be  said  for  and 
against  copper  sheathing  for  the  bottom 
of  a  racing  yacht.  For  some  reason  or 
other  it  has  never  been  popular  in  this 
country.  It  was  first  used  in  1761,  when 
the  British  warship  Alarm  was  coppered 
at  Woolwich. 

Mr.  G.  L.  Watson  is  authority  for  the 
statement  that,  as  early  as  1834,  a  metal 
keel  was  fixed  on  the  Wai'e,  built  for 
Mr.  John  Cross  Buchanan  by  Messrs. 
Steele. 


The  Racing  Yacht.  69 

The  man  desirous  of  obtaining  dis- 
tinction in  the  arena  of  yacht  racing, 
supposing  he  decides  to  build  a  yacht  of 
his  own  so  that  the  luster  appertaining 
to  her  achievements  shall  be  inevitably 
associated  with  his  name,  should,  in  the 
first  place,  have  a  full  and  business-like 
understanding  with  his  designer,  who 
will  only  be  happy  to  meet  him  half  way 
and  will  cheerfully  name  the  honorarium 
for  his  draught.  The  designer  supplies 
drawings,  plans  and  specifications,  and 
supervises  the  work  of  the  builder. 

The  builder's  duty  is  to  furnish  an 
estimate  of  the  cost  of  such  yacht, 
which  estimate,  if  accepted  by  the 
yachtsman,  should  be  embodied  in  an 
agreement  that  takes  the  legal  form  of 
a  contract,  after  being  signed. 

The  agreement  should  specify  : 

i  — That  the  yacht  shall  be  constructed 
according  to  specifications  and  drawings 
furnished  by  the  designer,  complying 
with  all  requirements  therein  set  forth 
regarding  material  and  workmanship, 
and  that  all  work  shall  be  completed  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  designer  and  sur- 
veyor (if  any). 

2 — That  the  yacht  shall  be  delivered 
to  the  owner  on  a  certain  date  afloat  and 
complete,  and  in  default  of  completion 
by  such  date,  the  builder  shall  pay  a 
certain  stipulated  sum  for  each  and 
every  day  afterward  during  which  the 
yacht  remains  incomplete  and  unde- 
livered, for  liquidated  damages,  the 
owner  being  empowered  to  deduct 


70  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

such  damages  from  the  price  of  the 
vessel. 

3— That  the  builder  shall  be  paid  by 
the  owner  a  certain  sum  on  the  signing 
of  the  agreement,  a  further  sum  when 
the  yacht  shall  be  in  frame,  yet  another 
sum  when  the  yacht  is  timbered  and 
planked,  and  the  final  payment  when 
the  yacht  is  completed  to  the  satis- 
faction of  the  designer  and  surveyor, 
and  delivered  to  the  owner  ready  for 
sea. 

4 — All  damage  to  the  yacht,  through 
fire  or  any  other  cause  whatever,  previ- 
ous to  her  delivery  to  the  owner,  shall 
be  made  good  by  and  at  the  expense  of 
the  builder,  and  to  the  satisfaction  of 
the  designer. 

The  specification  should  fully  set 
forth  the  dimensions  of  the  yacht  and 
the  material  to  be  used  in  her  construc- 
tion. As  an  example  I  append  the  gen- 
eral specifications  of  the  Uncas,  one  of 
the  three  one-design  46 -foot  schooners 
designed  by  Mr.  A.  Gary  Smith  in  1898  : 

General  Dimensions.— Length  over  all,  64ft.  ain.; 
lengthen  l.vv.l.,  46ft.;  beam,  extreme.  i6ft.;  draft  with- 
out board,  6ft.  6in.;  least  freeboard,  ^ft.  Specifications: 
Keel,  white  oak,  molded,  5 '/sin.;  stem,  whiteoak,  sided, 
4%m.;  sternpost,  white  oak,  sided,  sin.;  frames,  hack- 
matack, double,  sided  2in.,  molded  at  keel  ^i4in.,  at 
planksheer  z^in.;  floors,  sided  2!^  right  and  left;  trunk 
log,  sided  6in.  and  molded  ioin.,  bolted  with  y%  gal- 
vanized iron;  sides  of  trunk,  yellow  pine  and  white 
pine,  2x8in.,  bolted  with  %  ga'lvanized  bolts;  center- 
board,  oak  and  yellow  pine,  bolted  with  f-j  galvanized 
iron  ;  pin  and  hanging  to  be  of  brass  ;  ballast  to  be  of 
lead  furnished  by  owner,  20,000  Ibs.  in  all,  18,000  on 
keel  bolted  with  %m  Muntz  metal  bolts,  25  in  number; 
planking  of  yellow  pine,  spike  fastened;  clamps,  yellow 
pine,  2  in  number,  i^xbin.;  shelf,  same,  sxz  in.,  worked 
to  shape,  i  through  bolt  on  each  frame;  bilge  strakes, 
yellow  pine,  3  on  a  side,  ii£x6in.;  ceiling,  only  where 
cabin  work  calls  for  it,  Yt\n.  pine;  deck  beams,  white 


The  Racing  Yacht.  73 

oak,  sided  .jin.,  molded  2%in  ;  partner  beams  and  house 
beams  to  be  sided  6in.;  partners,  hackmatack,  kneed 
with  same;  planksheer,  white  oak.  i^xyin.;  deck  plank, 
white  pine,  i^in  thick  by  2%in.  wide,  spiked;  bul- 
warks, pine ;  stanchions,  white  oak ;  trunk  cabin, 
tongued  and  grooved  sides,  1^4x3  in,  with  wrapper; 
trunk  deck,  tongued  and  grooved  stuff,  i^in.,  covered 
with  canvas;  hatches  and  slides,  mahogany;  bitts,  lo- 
cust: windlass,  pump  brake;  anchors,  120  ibs.,  160  Ibs.; 
chains,  70  fathoms,  ^  tested. 

All  chocks  and  kevels  as  required  ;  steerer,  Perley 
patent,  mahogany  wheel  about  3oin.;  tanks,  galvan- 
ized iron,  to  hold  about  200  gals.;  pump  in  galley 
basins  to  discharge  in  receivers  (bilge  pump);  one 
small  tank  on  C.  B.  trunk. 

Masts  and  spars  of  best  spruce  ;  rigging,  best  cast- 
•  steel  wire  rope  and  manila;  sails  to  be  as  follows: 
mainsail,  foresail,  forestaysail,  jib,  small  jib,  small 
jibtopsail,  second  jibtopsail,  spinnaker,  two  gaff-top- 
sails, small  maintopmast  staysail ;  blocks  of  white  ash; 
iron  work  of  all  kinds,  of  best  iron  galvanized  ;  awn- 
ing stanchionsgalvanized;  Coiner  work  to  be  of  tongued 
and  grooved  stuff,  where  it  will  not  be  seen,  and  the 
rest  to  be  paneled,  of  white  pine,  all  to  be  of  %  stuff; 
to  be  painted  with  three  coats  of  paint. 

The  2i-footer  Ouananiclie,  designed 
by  Mr.  T.  E.  Ferris  and  built  at  the 
same  yard  as  Uncas,  is  an  excellent 
example  of  the  modern  type  of  boat. 
Her  accommodations  are  good  and  she 
is  both  fast  and  able. 

The  specifications  may  also  include 
the  cabin  fittings  and  all  furniture,  up- 
holstery for  berths,  and  ship  stores  gen- 
erally, not  including  edibles.  It  is  more 
satisfactory  to  the  owner  to  have  an 
estimate  of  the  total  cost  of  the  craft 
complete  and  ready  for  sea. 

The  owner  too  frequently  suggests 
changes  from  the  specifications,  which, 
in  all  cases,  entail  considerable  ex- 
pense. These  alterations  are  quite  justly 
charged  for  by  the  builder  as  "  extra 
work  ;"  and  if  the  owner  is  a  good  hand 
at  "  suggesting,"  as  the  tyro  generally 
is,  the  bill  for  "extra  work"  makes  a  big 


74  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

item  when  the  final  account  is  rendered. 
I  have  known  it  to  amount  to  as  much 
as  $500  on  a  $2,000  craft.  Sometimes 
vexatious  litigation  follows. 

All  this  trouble  may  be  avoided  by 
having  a  clause  inserted  in  the  contract 
to  the  effect  that  no  work  done  on  the 
yacht  without  a  written  order,  signed 
by  the  designer  and  countersigned  by 
the  owner,  shall  be  deemed  extra  work. 
The  careful  builder  will  insist  on  such 
a  clause  if  he  is  alive  to  his  best  inter- 
ests. 

A  yacht,  in  the  interesting  process  of 
construction,  possesses  a  sort  of  hyp- 
notic attraction  to  the  man  it  is  being 
built  for.  He  haunts  the  shipyard  from 
the  hour  the  men  turn  to  in  the  morn- 
ing to  the  time  they  knock  off  at  night. 
Naturally,  he  is  anxious  to  know  how  she 
progresses.  If  he  were  a  wise  man  he 
would  keep  religiously  aloof  from  the 
scene  of  operations,  and  leave  the  work 
of  inspection  and  supervision  to  his 
naval  architect.  These  remarks  apply 
only  to  the  tyro,  who  is  usually  as  proud 
of  his  first  yacht  as  a  young  mother  of 
her  first-born.  With  old  stagers  it  is 
different. 

On  the  day  of  the  launch  it  is  cus- 
tomary for  the  owner  to  buy  liquid  re 
freshments  for  the  workmen  in  the  ship- 
yard. The  naval  architect,  too,  feels 
hurt  if  he  does  not  receive  a  personal 
invitation  to  the  ceremony  and  a  seat 
at  the  collation  which  follows  the  launch. 

If  a  man  has  neither  the  means  nor 


The  Racing  Yacht. 


75 


the  inclination  to  build  a  boat  of  his 
own  he  need  not  despair.  There  are 
always  in  the  market  a  number  of  ser- 
viceable boats.  A  shrewd  buyer,  if  he 
keeps  his  weather  eye  open,  may  pick 
up  a  rare  bargain.  It  is  his  own  fault 
if  he  gets  the  worse  of  the  transaction. 
Given  a  good  designer  and  a  good  build- 
er in  the  first  place,  he  may  safely  con- 
clude that  the  craft  he  has  his  eye  on 
was  not  a  "  gingerbread  "  boat  when  she 
was  launched. 

Unless  the  purchaser  is  well  versed  in 
boats  I  should  bv  all  means  advise  him 


"  LRAGON    Hi, 


76  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

to  have  the  craft  surveyed  by  a  compe- 
tent man,  whose  cha'ge  will  be  mod- 
erate. It  is  sure  to  be  money  saved. 
A  boat  with  a  bulb  fin  or  a  heavily 
weighted  centerboard  is  peculiarly  sus- 
ceptible to  strains  and  wrenches  which 
a  tyro  would  be  likely  to  pass  over,  but 
which  would  be  clearly  apparent  to  the 
unerring-  eye  of  an  expert  professional. 

Sometimes  a  man  who  thinks  he  is 
built  on  the  lines  of  a  yachting  enthu- 
siast joins  a  yacht  club  and  builds  a 
boat  in  a  fashionable  class.  After  a  few 
weeks  he  discovers  that  all  his  enthusi- 
asm has  evaporated  ;  that  he  takes  no 
interest  whatever  in  the  sport.  His 
next  course  is  to  offer  his  craft  for  sale. 
He  is  often  so  disgusted  that  he  lets  a 
purchaser  have  her  for  a  song.  This  is 
a  shrewd  man's  opportunity,  and  he 
should  not  let  it  escape.  It  is  not  often, 
however,  that  such  windfalls  come  in 
one's  way,  in  spite  of  the  old  adage  that 
a  simpleton  is  born  every  minute. 

Let  me  in  all  seriousness  conjure  you 
never  to  buy  or  launch  a  yacht  on  a  Fri- 
day !  If  you  do,  you  will  surely  rue  it. 
The  superstitions  of  old  sailors  are  not 
to  be  despised.  It  is  quaint  and  curious 
that  superstition  of  the  sea  about  the 
lucklessness  of  Friday,  but  I  for  one 
most  devoutly  believe  in  it.  I  have 
reason,  too,  for  on  one  fine  Friday  morn- 
ing, ever  so  manv  years  ago,  I  set  sail 
from  the  port  of  Sunderlandin  the  stout 
brig  Goshawk,  hailing  from  the  port  of 
Shoreham,  with  Captain  Cuddington  in 


The  Racing  Yacht.  77 

command.  On  Sunday  morning  we  were 
ashore  on  the  Long  Sarid  in  a  howling 
gale,  and  the  brig  went  to  pieces  in  six 
hours.  I  was  saved  with  others  of  the 
crew  by  a  smack  from  Harwich,  in 
charge  of  brave  John  Tigh,  but  a  poor 
boy,  just  fresh  from  a  Sussex  farm,  per- 
ished. I  shall  always  remember  that 
day.  There  were  two  life-buoys  aboard, 
and  these  the  captain  and  the  cook  se- 
cured. The  instinct  of  self-preserva- 
tion was  strong,  no  doubt,  and  it  was 
not  an  era  of  heroes.  I  was  a  romantic- 
child  at  that  time,  on  my  first  sea  voy- 
age, and  fresh  from  a  course  of  "  The 
Three  Musketeers,"  "  Monte  Cristo,"  and 
other  such  entertaining  literature.  I 
thought  then  that  we  two  little  fright- 
ened boys  would  have  been  allowed  the 
safeguard  of  the  life-buoys.  Now  I  know 
better. 


III. 

THE  TYPE  OF  YACHT. 

WHAT    SHALL    SHE    HE— KEEL,    CENTERBOAKI), 
OR     BULB-FIN? 

WHEN   we    come  to   consider    the 
type  of  yacht  most  desirable  to 
buy  or  to  build,  the  problem  is 
perplexing-.     We  must  in  every 
case  be  guided  by  circumstances.     For 
instance,  a  deep  bulb-fin  boat  for  racing 
or  cruising  on  the  shallow  waters  of  the 
Great  South  Bay  would  be  manifestly 
out  of  place.     Nor  would  a  sharpie  be 
the  most  desirable  class  of  craft  for  use 
on  the  deep  water  cf  the  lower  Hudson. 
Locality  is  what  must  guide  us  in  our 
choice.     Build  or  buy  a  boat  suitable  for 
the  work   she   is  intended   to  do. 

Remember  that  nearly  every  type  of 
craft,  keel,  bulb-fin,  centerboard  or 
double-huller,  has  some  good  qualities 
to  recommend  it.  For  cruising,  a  keel 
yacht  of  moderate  draught,  so  as  to  be 
able  to  enter  harbors  where  the  water 
is  comparatively  shallow,  may  be  recom- 
mended. A  centerboard  vessel  for  the 
same  purpose,  to  those  who  prefer 
the  type,  holds  further  inducements.  A 
wholesome  knockabout  for  general  pur- 


'* 


The  Type  of  Yacht.  81 

poses,  fashing  and  class-racing  affords 
lots  of  sport.  A  modern  fin-keel  for 
racing  only  cannot  be  surpassed.  So 
out  of  these  various  types  you  have  only 
to  choose.  It  is  not  necessary  in  this 
connection  to  sing  the  praises  of  the  keel 
type.  It  speaks  for  itself.  For  speed 
and  safety  it  is  equally  adapted.  In 
war  and  in  commerce  as  well  as  in  yacht 
racing  it  has  made  its  mark. 

There  are  a  number  of  yachts  which 
without  exaggeration  or  affectation  may 
well  be  characterized  as  epoch-making 
vessels.  First  comes  the  schooner  A  rner- 
ica,  which  revolutionized  }^acht  naval 
architecture  in  Great  Britain.  Then  fol- 
lows Evolution,  the  parent  of  the  bulb- 
fin  type  of  to-day.  Next  comes  the 
Scotch  cutter  Madge,  which  was  respon- 
sible for  the  decline  and  fall  of  our 
unwholesome  "  skimming-dish  "  type. 
Puritan  is  next — a  compromise  between 
the  two  extremes  of  deep  cutter  and 
shallow  centerboard.  It  should  be  re- 
membered in  connection  with  this  boat 
that  she  combined  the  factors  of  out- 
side lead,  moderate  draught  and  ample 
beam,  and  was  in  every  way  a  new  de- 
parture, reflecting  great  credit  on  her 
talented  designer,  Mr.  Edward  Burgess. 
Gloriana  was  as  pronounced  a  departure 
as  Puritan,  her  famous  spoon-bow  and 
immense  overhangs  arousing  all  the 
British  designers  and  causing  them  to 
steer  a  new  course.  Her  influence  was 
quite  as  great  as  that  of  America.  She 
made  Nat  Herreshoff  famous. 


"  MADGE." 


The  Type  of  Yacht.  83 

The  remarkable  feature  of  Gloriana 
was  that  while  her  length  on  the  load 
water-line  was  45  feet  3  inches  (she  was 
built  for  the  46- foot  class),  her  length 
over-all  was  70  feet.  As  the  fullness  of 
the  bilge  extended  to  bow  and  stern,  the 
more  she  was  inclined,  the  greater  was 
her  water-line  length.  I  never  saw  a 
stiffer  yacht.  Her  record  for  her  first 
season  (1890)  was  eight  starts  and  eight 
first  prizes.  Dilemma,  the  Herreshoff 
fin-keel,  may  also  be  described  as  an 
epoch-maker,  as  her  form  and  her  fin 
were  speedily  adopted  and  adapted  by 
British  designers. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  all  the  yachts 
enumerated,  except  Puritan  and  Dilem- 
ma, are  of  the  keel  variety. 

The  long  reign  of  what  may  be  termed 
the  demoralized  centerboard  type  is 
happily  over.  It  is  really  a  matter  of 
marvel  that  the  shoal  hulls  of  great 
beam,  destitute  of  a  safe  range  of  sta- 
bility, and  carrying  a  dangerous  spread 
of  sail,  did  not  oftener  turn  turtle  and 
cause  a  greater  loss  of  human  life. 

The  Hudson  River  freight  sloop  was 
a  safe  and  well-built  craft,  well  adapted 
not  only  for  the  commerce  of  our  coasts 
but  also  for  long  ocean  voyages.  So  far 
back  as  1785  the  Albany,  an  84-ton  sloop, 
Stewart  Dennis  master,  made  a  voyage 
to  Canton,  returning  with  a  cargo  of 
tea.  Between  1790  and  1800  there  were 
about  a  hundred  sloops  plying  in  the 
freight  and  passenger  trade  between 
New  York  and  Albany,  and  proving 


84 


Yachting  Wrinkles. 


fast  and  able.  These  packets  flourished 
until  steam  drove  them  out  ot  the  busi- 
ness. 

The  centerboard,  an  improvement  on 
the  Dutch  leeboard,  first  used  on  the 
Hudson  about  1830,  has  since  been  a 
necessity  because  of  the  shallowness  of 
some  of  our  harbors;  and  there  is  no 
reason  why  it  should  not  continue  to  be 


THE    GERM    OP   THE   CENTERBOARD. 


popular,  if  the  model  is  of  sound  de- 
sign and  the  construction  strong.  Every 
objection  against  the  centerboard  system 
may  be  met  by  the  argument  that  a  large 
proportion  of  our  coasting  schooners  on 
the  Atlantic  seaboard  are  fitted  with 
centerboards,  and  ply  their  calling  win- 
ter and  summer,  in  storm  and  calm,  ajid 
the  unerring  test  of  their  seaworthiness 
is  that  the  underwriters  do  not  look  upon 


"  VESTA." 


86  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

them  as  greater  risks  than  those  of  the 
keel  variety.  A  marine  underwriter  is 
generally  shrewd  and  businesslike,  and 
keeps  a  close  watch  on  the  statistics  of 
maritime  losses.  If  it  were  proven  by 
the  wreck  returns  that  centerboard  ves- 
sels were  more  prone  to  succumb  to  the 
perils  of  the  raging  main  than  the  craft 
not  built  with  a  movable  fin,  the  infer- 
ence is  obvious,  the  premium  of  insur- 
ance would  be  graded  to  meet  the  risk. 

I  think  that  this  argument  will  ap- 
peal to  all  people  of  common  sense,  and 
will  settle  the  question  of  the  relative 
safety  and  seaworthiness  of  the  two 
types.  But  there  is  this  to  be  said  on 
the  subject,  that  very  much  difference 
exists  between  a  craft  constructed  for 
carrying  coal  and  another  built  for  the 
purpose  of  pleasure.  I  think  it  may  be 
averred  without  error  that  the  early 
centerboard  yachts  were,  as  a  rule, 
modeled  by  shipwrights  who  had  a  due 
regard  for  the  factor  of  initial  stability 
as  well  as  strong  hulls  scientifically  put 
together.  But,  step  by  step,  a  school 
of  naval  architecture  came  into  vogue, 
so  far  as  centerboard  yachts  were  con- 
cerned, in  which  most  of  the  sound  prin- 
ciples of  yacht  designing  were  totally 
ignored.  Mr.  W.  P.  Stephens,  in  an  in- 
teresting and  scholarly  paper  read  be- 
fore the  Society  of  Naval  Architects 
and  Marine  Engineers  in  1895,  well  says: 

"  The  centerboard  lent  itself  as  a  will- 
ing accessory  to  the  sacrifice  of  that 
depth  which  is  essential  to  a  safe  range 


The  Type  of  Yacht.  87 

of  stability,  mere  sail-carrying  power  be- 
ing derived  from  an  excess  of  beam, 
which  was  but  an  additional  element  of 
danger.  In  the  search  for  speed  under 
special  local  conditions,  mainly  those  of 
summer  racing,  the  true  principles  of 
naval  architecture,  so  apparent  in  the 
work  of  George  Steers  and  others  of  the 
earlier  designers,  were  utterly  ignored, 
and  a  most  dangerous  and  vicious 
school  of  designing  prevailed  through- 
out American  yachting. 

"  Taking  the  centerboard  sloop  and 
schooner  as  they  were  up  to  1880 — dan- 
gerously shoal  and  wide  in  model  ;  often 
clumsily  built  of  soft  wood,  with  the 
poorest  of  fastenings  ;  faultily  ballasted 
with  stone  and  iron  inside  ;  the  hull  in- 
herently weak  in  form  from  the  great 
beam  and  lack  of  proportionate  depth  ; 
the  entire  middle  portion  of  keel  and 
floors  cut  away,  with  the  familiar  'hinge 
joint '  where  the  mast  wTas  stepped,  just 
forward  of  the  trunk  ;  and  with  the 
deck  construction  made  worse  than  use- 
less as  an  element  of  strength  through 
the  absence  of  all  beams  in  the  middle 
portion  of  the  vessel  and  the  presence 
of  a  great  superstructure,  the  cabin 
trunk — the  accepted  laws  of  naval  de- 
sign and  construction  fail  to  give  any 
reason  why  such  craft  capsized  no 
oftener  and  kept  afloat  as  long  as  they 
did  ;  and  we  can  only  fall  back  for  an 
explanation  on  the  doctrine  of  a  special 
providence." 

Mr.   Stephens    is    not    only   a    naval 


88  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

architect,  but  also  a  practical  shipwright, 
and  therefore,  his  scathing  arraignment 
of  the  centerboard  type  must  be  taken 
as  emanating  from  his  ripe  judgment 
and  long  experience.  It  must  be  re- 
membered, however,  that  he  is  a  pro- 
nounced advocate  of  the  keel  type,  and 
has  long  waged  war  against  the  center- 
board.  So  far  as  his  denunciation  ap- 
plies to  the  vicious  and  exaggerated  va- 
riety I  agree  with  him,  heart  and  soul. 
But  I  am  not  prepared  to  condemn  the 
whole  class  because  of  the  glaring  im- 
perfections to  be  found  in  examples. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  with- 
out the  aid  of  the  centerboard  the  pas- 
time of  3'achting  would  be  impractica- 
ble on  innumerable  sheets  of  shallow 
water,  both  salt  and  fresh,  to  be  found 
in  North  America.  With  that  point  in 
view,  the  abolition  of  the  vicious  ele- 
ment in  the  type,  and  its  succession  by 
a  sound  and  seaworthy  class  of  pleasure 
craft,  should  be  the  aim  of  all  yachts- 
men. And  since  the  year  1880  great 
strides  have  been  made  in  that  direc- 
tion. I  have  witnessed  with  joy  the  de- 
cadence and  abolition  of  the  "sand- 
bagger,"  a  craft  of  immense  beam, 
shallow  draft,  and  big  sail  plan.  The 
sandbagger  was  the  ideal  racing  ma- 
chine of  twenty  five  years  ago.  Its  place 
has  been  taken  by  the  fin-keel.  I  won- 
der if  the  fin-keel  is  destined  to  be  suc- 
ceeded by  the  double-huller,  such  as 
Dominion,  which  made  her  debut  in 
Canada  in  1898  ? 


The  Type  of  Yacht.  89 

In  the  course  of  the  same  paper  Mr. 
Stephens  also  says  :  "  To  us  familiar 
with  it  [the  centerboard]  from  our 
earliest  knowledge  of  the  water,  the 
striking  characteristics  of  the  type  ap- 
peal with  little  force  ;  but  if,  with  our 
knowledge  of  the  sea,  of  naval  instruc- 
tion, and  of  the  strains  and  stresses  to 
which  every  vessel  is  subjected,  the  idea 
were  laid  before  us,  for  the  first  time, 
of  a  vessel  with  the  entire  backbone  and 
floor  construction  cut  away  for  the  mid- 
dle third  of  her  length,  devoid  of  deck 
frames  almost  from  mast  to  rudder-post, 
with  a  great  box  amidships  open  to  the 
sea,  and  with  a  thin,  movable  plane 
projecting  deep  below  the  bottom,  it 
would  be  strange  if  the  majority  would 
not  condemn  on  sight  a  combination 
so  unmechanical,  so  lubberly,  and  so 
dangerous." 

But  Mr.  Stephens  gives  the  other 
side  of  the  question  also.  He  says  :  ''  In 
the  hands  of  competent  and  honest 
shipwrights  the  centerboard  coasting 
schooner  has  disproved  all  theories  as 
to  the  non-utility  of  the  type  for  sea- 
going purposes  :  in  a  hull  of  moderate 
first  cost  and  running  expense  it  has 
carried  swiftly,  safely  and  profitably  its 
cargoes  of  coal,  lumber,  sugar,  firewood, 
barley,  bricks,  or  general  freight,  both 
on  the  lakes  and  on  the  Atlantic,  up 
and  down  the  '  Beach,'  across  Nantucket 
Shoals,  and  around  Hatteras  in  winter, 
light  or  loaded,  taking  in  and  landing 
its  cargoes  in  localities  inaccessible  to 


90  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

the  keel  vessel.  In  the  ocean  coasting 
trade  it  has  been  and  still  is  a  powerful 
factor  for  good  ;  and  in  the  local  trade  it 
has  been  a  Godsend  to  the  small  farmer 
or  miller  or  lumberman,  carrying  his 
product  cheaply  and  safely  from  his  own 
small  creek  or  bay  to  a  profitable  mar- 
ket. In  the  face  of  such  practical  re- 
sults all  theories  as  to  the  initial  weak- 
ness of  the  centerboard  type  or  its  in- 
feriority as  a  sea-going  vessel  must 
stand  aside  ;  numerous  instances  of  bad 
design  and  construction  may  be  found, 
it  is  true,  but  they  prove  nothing 
against  the  type  itself  in  capable  hands." 

This  last  extract  gives  a  fair  present- 
ment of  the  whole  question.  It  is  by 
practical  results  that  the  centerboard 
yacht  must  be  judged,  as  well  as  the 
centerboard  coaster.  I  believe  that  the 
centerboard  has  been  beneficial  to  the 
sport  of  yachting.  I  will  go  further, 
and  will  say  that  without  the  board 
yachting  could  not  possibly  have  at- 
tained the  great  popularity  it  now  en- 
joys in  this  country. 

Viewing  the  subject  broadly,  I  see  no 
reason  why  the  centerboard  should  not 
be  good  for  centuries  to  come  in  honest 
cruising  and  racing,  especially  in  class- 
es of  moderate  size.  The  keel  will 
probably  bear  off  the  palm  in  the  larger 
classes  of  cutters  and  schooners,  but  for 
craft  in  the  thirty-foot  class  and  under, 
the  centerboard  has  advantages  which 
the  bulb- fin  in  my  judgment  does  not 
possess.  Those  who  care  for  speed  alone 


The  Type  of  Yacht.  91 

and  whose  ambition  it  is  to  acquire  a 
stock  of  more  or  less  inartistic  silver- 
ware, will  continue  to  pin  their  faith  to 
the  fin.  Others  who  like  to  enjoy  a 
modicum  of  comfort  when  afloat  may 
safely  swear  by  the  centerboard. 

When  I  was  a  young  man  I  had  an 
unconquerable  prejudice  against  the 
centerboard.  My  opinion  of  the  type 
was  often  expressed  in  language  of 
great  warmth  and  strength.  Mind  you, 
I  was  not  so  utterly  devoid  of  common 
sense  as  to  be  blind  to  the  advantages 
of  the  "  board  "  in  shallow  water.  I  had, 
however,  a  fixed  idea  that  the  average 
centerboard  sloop  was  no  good  in  a 
blow.  This  view  has  been  consider- 
ably modified  in  the  school  of  ex- 
perience. It  once  fell  to  my  lot  to  be 
an  eye-witness  of  the  excellent  sea- 
worthy and  speedy  qualities  of  a  center- 
board  sloop  in  an  easterly  gale  on  Long 
Island  Sound.  When  we  reached  port 
I  was  perfectly  willing  to  confess  that  a 
vessel  of  the  type  aboard  which  I  had 
been,  if  well-found  and  well-manned, 
was  equal  to  any  keel  boat  of  her  size 
that  I  had  ever  sailed  on. 

Permit  me  to  spin  you  the  yarn  : 
The  cruise  of  the  Atlantic  Yacht 
Club  in  1889  will  always  be  remembered 
because  of  the  bad  weather  encountered 
on  the  Sound  between  Black  Rock  and 
New  London.  In  that  year  Jefferson 
Hoganwas  Commodore  and  theschooner 
Cavalier  was  the  flagship.  I  was  the 
guest  of  Vice-Commodore  E.  B.  Havens 


92 


i  'achtir.g  Wrinkles. 


on  his  stout  sloop  Athlon,  a  remarkably 
fast  and  able  craft  in  heavy  weather, 
but  by  no  means  speedy  in  light  airs. 
She  was  built  by  Mutnm,  at  Bay  Ridge, 
for  Dr.  Barron.  Mr.  Havens  bought  her 
and  lengthened  her  six  fe~t,  adding  a 
handsome  "  Burgess  stern,"  which  im- 
proved her  appearance  wonderfully.  I 
joined  the  Athlon  at  Black  Rock,  Conn., 
on  Saturday,  July  i3th,  and,  after  pass- 
ing Sunday  very  pleasantly,  turned  in 
early,  as  the  orders  were  to  get  under 
way  next  morning  at  five  o'  clock,  the 
early  start  being  necessary,  as  our  des- 
tination was  New  London,  distant  nearly 
fifty  miles  to  the  eastward. 

I  recall  that,  as  we  were  enjoying  our 
pipes  on  deck  preparatory  to  going  be- 
low for  the  night,  the  weather  looked 
dirty  and  the  barometer  was  falling. 

The  guests  of  Mr.  Havens  besides  the 
writer  were  Mr.  Levi  Burgess  and  Mr. 
Havens,  Jr.  All  of  us  were  capable  of 
lending  a  hand  in  an  emergency,  and 
when  the  time  came  we  did  our  level 
best. 

The  preparatory  gun  from  the  flag- 
ship aroused  us  next  morning  at  an 
hour  when  the  early  birds  were  still 
roosting.  Going  on  deck  we  found  a 
light  wind  blowing  from  east -northeast 
and  a  drizzling  rain  falling.  The  sky 
looked  threatening,  and  all  round  the 
horizon  black  and  angry  clouds  were 
clustered.  A  glance  at  the  aneroid  in 
the  companionway  showed  a  fall  of 
two-tenths  of  an  inch  during  the  night. 


'  ATHLON." 


The  Type  of  Yacht.  95 

While  the  men  were  sweating  up  the 
peak  and  throat  halyards  and  heaving 
short  on  the  anchor  chain,  Mr.  Bur- 
gess and  I  sneaked  below  and  inter- 
viewed the  steward,  with  the  result  that 
we  each  got  outside  of  a  cup  of  fragrant 
coffee  mellowed  with  some  remarkable 
old  cognac,  carried  on  the  Athlon  for 
medicinal  purposes  only.  Fortified  with 
this  we  joined  our  shipmates  on  deck, 
giving  an  imitation  of  two  men  look- 
ing eagerly  for  work  and  praying  to  the 
gods  not  to  be  successful  in  the  quest. 

"  Shall  we  get  the  jibtopsail  out  of 
the  sail  locker  ?  "  inquired  young  Mr. 
Havens  of  his  father. 

"  I  guess  the  weather  looks  more  like 
a  double-reefed  mainsail  than  a  jibtop- 
sail," was  the  reply.  So  the  jibtopsail 
reposed  in  the  locker. 

Bang  !  went  the  gun  from  the  Cava- 
lier. It  was  the  signal  to  start.  An- 
chors were  broken  out  smartly,  jibs  were 
hoisted,  and  the  squadron  sailed  out  of 
the  harbor  and  began  the  long  and 
dreary  beat  to  New  London  in  the  chilly, 
pelting  rain. 

As  I  remarked  above,  the  Athlon  re- 
quires a  strong  breeze  to  start  her,  and, 
although  our  anchor  was  up  in  good 
time,  the  smart  sloop  Anaconda,  with 
Mr.  Prague  at  the  helm,  looming  up  like 
a  gray  ghost  in  the  mist,  glided  past  us 
and  assumed  the  lead  of  the  fleet.  The 
Anaconda  was  the  only  boat  in  her  class 
that  ever  beat  the  swift  Fife  cutter  Clara 
— an  achievement  that  speaks  volumes 
in  her  behalf. 


g6  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

"  Our  turn  will  come  by  and  by," 
tersely  remarked  Mr.  Burgess.  Events 
proved  that  he  was  a  prophet. 

Presently  the  Anaconda,  far  out  to 
windward,  was  struck  by  a  savage  squall. 
Down  came  her  flying  kites  by  the  run. 
I  looked  at  her  through  the  glass  and 
saw  her  heel  over  until  the  water  boiled 
and  bubbled  on  her  lee  deck.  All  was 
now  activity  on  the  Athlon.  The  boats 
were  swung  in  and  everything  was  made 
snug  for  the  approaching  gale.  Mr. 
Havens  determined  not  to  reef  till  the 
last  moment,  and  just  before  the  squall, 
with  its  long  line  of  white  water  in 
marked  contrast  with  the  murky  clouds 
above,  smote  us,  we  clewed  up  the  gaff- 
topsail.  It  wasn't  an  instant  too  soon. 
Had  that  topsail  been  set  when  the 
blast  hove  us  down  nearly  on  our  beam 
ends  the  topmast  must  have  snapped  off 
short,  like  the  brittle  end  of  a  carrot. 
Mr.  Havens  was  steering.  He  gave  her 
a  few  spokes  of  lee  helm  and  kept  her 
shaking  in  the  wind  till  the  first  fury  of 
the  squall  was  exhausted.  It  was  almost 
as  dark  as  pitch  for  ten  minutes.  When 
it  cleared  up  a  little  we  cast  anxious 
eyes  to  windward  and  to  leeward  to  see 
what  had  become  of  our  companions. 
The  Anaconda  had  snugged  down  to  a 
couple  of  reefs.  The  4o-footer  Chispa, 
a  brand-new  Burgess  boat,  was  taking 
it  easy  under  storm  trysail  and  foresail. 
The  sloop  Concord  was  scudding  back 
to  Black  Rock  under  a  bare  pole,  with 
the  Fanny  chasing  her  under  short  sail. 


The  Type  of  Yacht.  97 

The  schooner  Asalea  was  having  a  lot 
of  trouble,  and  the  flagship  Cavalier  was 
making  plucky  efforts  to  collect  her 
scattered  and  stormbeaten  convoy  about 
her. 

Just  about  this  time  the  Athlon  began 
to  go.  She  was  carrying  her  whole 
mainsail,  jib  and  foresail.  Every  now 
and  then  a  shower  of  spray  dashed  over 
the  weather  bow  and  drenched  the 
Commodore  as  he  stood  at  the  wheel. 
The  yacht  now  and  again  careened  to 
the  puffs  to  such  an  extent  as  to  take  in 
green  water  over  the  lee  coaming  of  the 
cockpit.  We  passed  the  Chispa  as  if 
she  was  at  anchor,  and  soon  began  to 
forereach  on  the  Anaconda.  Under  the 
pressure  of  the  gale  the  masthead  fairly 
buckled.  It  was  a  case  of  carrying  on 
sail  with  a  vengeance,  but  the  Commo- 
dore had  confidence  in  his  craft,  and 
Mr.  Burgess  and  I  had  confidence  in  the 
Commodore,  so  we  went  below  and 
drank  to  the  health  of  the  brave  little 
ship.  The  steward  forsook  his  kitchen 
and  pantry.  He  was  too  nervous  to 
stay  anywhere  except  on  deck.  As 
Byron  sings  : 

He  was  a  man  in  years, 
And  long  had  voyaged  through  many  a  stormy 

sea, 

And  if  he  wept  at  length,  they  were  not  fears 
That  made  his  eyelids  as  a  woman's  be  ; 

But  he,  poor  fellow,  had  a  wife  and  children — 
Two  things  for  drowning   sailors  quite  be- 
wild'ring. 

The  wind  and  sea  increased.  Lum- 
bering schooners  bound  to  the  eastward 


98  yachting  Wrinkles. 

showed  only  a  rag  of  canvas,  while  the 
west-bound  coasters  were  under  single 
or  double  reefs.  Still  the  Athlon  held 
on  to  everything,  showing  the  ability  of 
a  representative  centerboard  sloop  to 
do  wonderful  work  in  heavy  weather. 
At  last  things  came  to  such  a  pitch  that 
we  just  had  to  shorten  sail.  We  were 
knocked  down  by  a  squall  of  particular 
violence.  Anybody  to  windward  of  us 
might  have  caught  a  glimpse  of  Athlon's 
keel.  We  hauled  down  the  jib  and  tied 
a  single  reef  in  the  mainsail,  which,  be- 
ing brand-new  and  soaked  with  rain  and 
spray,  was  hard  to  handle.  At  last  we 
got  it  reefed,  and  after  swaying  up  the 
halyards  taut  as  bars  of  steel  we  ham- 
mered at  it  once  more. 

The  gale  was  dead  in  our  teeth.  The 
other  yachts  of  the  fleet  had  disap- 
peared, most  of  them  seeking  harbors  of 
refuge.  The  Athlon's  destination,  how- 
ever, was  New  London,  and  thither  she 
threshed  her  way  right  gallantly,  mak- 
ing a  short  leg  and  a  long  leg  along  the 
Connecticut  shore.  Never  before  had 
I  seen  so  heavy  a  sea  in  the  Sound,  and 
I  had  had  a  long  experience  on  which 
to  draw. 

The  crew  looked  like  drowned  rats. 
Every  time  we  tacked,  the  yacht  shipped 
a  good  deal  of  water  as  she  plunged  her 
bows  under  in  the  steep  head  sea.  It 
was  hard  work  for  all  hands,  but  there 
was  a  lot  of  excitement  in  it.  By  and 
by  we  struck  a  streak  of  good  luck.  It 
was  off  Branford  Beacon,  and  it  was 


The  Type  of  Yacht  99 

just  one  bell  in  the  afternoon  watch. 
The  wind  had  a  trifle  more  northing  in 
it,  so  much  so,  in  fact,  that  our  saucy 
and  stanch  little  ship  was  able  to  lay 
her  course  for  Bartlett's  Reef  lightship, 
thirty-five  miles  distant. 

This  prospect  cheered  us  up  consid- 
erably. The  steward  resumed  duty  and 
gave  us  a  square  meal  of  fine  cold  roast 
beef  and  pickles,  which  we  washed 
down  with  bottled  Bass.  Thus  strength- 
ened, we  went  on  deck  and  set  the  jib, 
gave  her  a  foot  or  two  of  the  mainsheet, 
and,  keeping  her  a  good  full,  went 
smoking  through  the  perturbed  sea  at  a 
great  rate.  The  whole  distance  to 
Bartlett's  Reef,  at  the  entrance  of  the 
River  Thames,  was  accomplished  with 
the  A  thlon 's  lee  rail  under  water.  Strong 
gusts  from  the  land  smote  her  at  fre- 
quent intervals.  If  all  her  gear  hadn't 
been  of  first-class  material,  something 
would  have  carried  away.  At  half -past 
four  o'clock  we  passed  the  lightship, 
having  made  the  thirty-five  miles  in 
four  hours — a  highly  creditable  per- 
formance, considering  the  villainous 
weather  we  had  had. 

Our  troubles,  however,  were  not  over 
by  a  long  shot.  The  ebb  tide  was  run- 
ning out  of  New  London  harbor  with 
the  velocity  of  a  mill-race.  It  was  blow- 
ing a  living  gale  dead  in  our  teeth.  The 
beat  to  the  city  against  wind  and  tide 
was  as  hard  a  one  as  I  remember  on  this 
side  of  the  Atlantic;  but  we  drove  her 
at  it.  Glad  enough  we  were  to  cast 


ioo  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

anchor  off  the  old  steamboat  landing  at 
six  o'clock,  thus  ending  twelve  hours  of 
tough  fighting,  in  triumph.  The  Chispa 
arrived  at  a  quarter  to  eight  o'clock 
that  evening.  The  rest  of  the  fleet 
reached  port  in  straggling  order  the 
next  day.  The  Athlon  thus  had  the 
credit  of  beating  the  whole  squadron, 
including  several  vessels  treble  her 
size.  The  Cavalier,  of  course,  could 
easily  have  made  the  passage,  but  Com- 
modore Hogan  felt  it  his  duty  to  stick 
to  the  bulk  of  the  fleet,  and  for  this  he 
was  justly  commended.  So  thus  it  came 
to  pass  that  Athlon  made  the  record 
heavy-weather  run  in  her  history,  cov- 
ered herself  with  glory,  and  made  a 
convert  of  me. 

I  have  had  some  experience  of  yachts- 
men, but  I  feel  bound  to  say  that  I 
never  saw  a  vessel  handled  better  in  a 
blow  than  Atiilon  was  by  Commodore 
Havens  on  that  occasion. 

This  must  be  added.  If  the  Athlon 
had  not  been  well-built,  well-rigged,  and 
her  sails  good,  in  addition  to  being 
handled  most  capably,  it  is  not  likely 
that  she  would  have  made  such  a  splen- 
did record. 

The  popularity  of  the  catboat  as  a 
racing  craft  will  never  die  out  in  this 
country.  The  horseless  carriage  may 
supersede  the  hansom-cab  in  our  city 
streets,  and  the  electric  launch  may 
usurp  the  place  of  the  Venetian  gon- 
dolas, and  drive  the  gay  gondoliers  to 
adopt  some  other  means  of  livelihood. 


The  Type  of  Yacht.  101 

But  the  catboat  is  destined  to  survive  all 
such  revolutionary  changes,  and  a  cen- 
tury hence  it  will  doubtless  be  more  in 


CATBOAT    "  DOROTHY. 


vogue  for  pleasure,  sport  and  business 
than  it  is  to  day.  In  hull  and  sail  plan  it 
will  probably  be  much  improved,  but  its 


io2  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

general  type  will  remain  unaltered.  For 
cruising  as  well  as  racing  it  will  never 
fail  of  an  array  of  enthusiastic  admirers. 

Of  catboats  there  are  many  varieties. 
They  are  plentiful  at  all  waterside 
haunts,  and  as  they  glide  gracefully  to 
and  fro  they  look  so  tempting  and  so 
easy  to  handle  withal,  that  the  visitor 
from  the  woods  or  the  mountains  longs 
to  be  afloat  in  one  of  them,  grasping  the 
tiller  with  his  left  hand,  while  his  strong 
right  arm  encircles  the  slender  waist  of 
his  trusting  but  slightly  timid  sweet- 
heart. The  average  catboat  is  as  safe 
as  a  church  when  sailed  by  a  man  who 
knows  how,  and  the  art  of  sailing  her 
may  soon  be  acquired.  But  when  a  lub- 
ber undertakes  to  handle  her  she  may 
become  as  stubborn  as  a  balky  mare 
and  as  perilous  as  the  bottomless  pit. 

Many  who  have  no  liking,  inherent  or 
acquired,  for  the  modern  racing  freak, 
whether  in  the  i5-foot,  20-foot  or3o-foot 
class,  need  not  give  up  their  hopes  of 
acquiring  fame  in  mosquito  craft  racing. 
A  good,  fast  catboat  is  never  out  of 
date,  and  there  are  various  classes  of 
these  wholesome  little  vessels  in  which 
there  is  always  room  at  the  top.  The 
best  of  the  racing  cabin-cat  is  that  she 
has  not  yet  degenerated  into  a  mere 
machine,  but  has  certain  modest  ac- 
commodations which  permit  her  to  be 
used  for  pleasant  cruises. 

The  heavy  sand  bags,  or  shot  bags, 
which  a  few  years  ago  necessitated  so 
much  laborious  toil  and  the  carrying  of 


The  Type  of  Yacht. 


103 


such  large  crews,  are  now,  happily,  out 
of  date,  shifting  ballast  being  barred  in 
nearly  all  clubs.  The  modern  cat  car- 
ries outside  ballast,  which  makes  the 
sailing  of  her  a  pastime,  not  a  perspi- 


"  KEVVAYDIIS." 

ration-compelling  task,  while  for  hand- 
mess  in  rig  the  cat  cannot  be  surpassed. 
By  many  ingenious  methods  and  con- 
trivances the  mast  is  so  securely  stepped 
and  stayed  that  there  is  now  no  danger 
in  carrying  a  press  of  sail  in  a  piping 


The  Type  of  Yacht.  105 

blow   or  a  steep   head   sea.     The   boat 
can   be  sailed  along  and  permitted    to 
feel  the  full  strength  of  the  breeze  with 
out  any  fear  of  springing  the  mast  or 
straining  thebo^.t  forward. 

Catboats  of  many  kinds  there  are, 
from  the  craft  common  in  the  Great 
South  Bay,  with  its  pleasant  but  rather 
flimsy  summer  cabin,  to  the  robust  boat 
of  Cape  Cod,  which  bravely  dares  the 
steep  seas  of  a  stormy  coast,  and  is  at  her 
best  in  a  vigorous  blow.  I  don't  know 
of  any  craft  of  such  light  draught  that 
can  compare  with  the  "  Caper  "  for  bad- 
weather  qualities  and  general  all-around 
usefulness.  She  is  by  no  means  pretty 
to  look  at,  but  her  appearance  can  be 
materially  improved  without  detriment 
to  her  sterling  attributes.  Mr.  F.  M. 
Randall  has  introduced  to  New  York  a 
modified  "  Caper." 

All  his  boats  have  been  built  by  the 
Crosbys,  of  Osterville,  Mass.,  who  now 
have  a  branch  shop  in  South  Brooklyn. 
They  have  been  highly  successful,  and 
with  EtJiel,  Prest-o,  Step  Lively,  and  Scat, 
Mr.  Randall  won  pretty  nearly  every- 
thing he  tried  for. 

Not  less  successful  was  the  catboat 
Kittie,  designed  and  built  for  Mr.  Hazen 
Morse,  by  Captain  Thos.  R.  Webber,  of 
New  Rochelle.  She  has  a  lead  shoe 
on  her  oaken  keel,  through  which 
works  her  centerboard  of  Tobin  bronze. 
Launched  in  1894  and  sailed  by  her 
owner,  Kittie  won  fourteen  first  prizes 
that  year,  and  in  1895  she  carried  off 


io6  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

seventeen  firsts.  She  is  now  owned  in 
Galveston,  Texas.  She  is  27  feet  over 
all,  20  feet  on  the  load  water-line,  9  feet 
beam,  draught  2  feet,  mast  30  feet,  hoist 
19  feet,  boom  33  feet,  gaff  21  feet,  and 
sail  area  700  square  feet. 

The  racing  catboat  is  such  a  fasci- 
nating theme  that  a  whole  volume 
might  be  devoted  to  its  advantages  and 
possibilities.  No  finer  craft  in  which 
to  learn  the  rudiments  of  yacht  racing 
can  be  chosen  by  an  amateur  ;  and 
there  are  several  classes,  large  and 
small,  in  which  eager  rivals  compete 
from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the 
yachting  season,  offering  many  oppor- 
tunities for  the  winning  of  prizes. 

A  successful  racing  cat  is  the  25-foot 
cabin  craft  Wanda,  designed  and  built 
by  the  Herreshoffs,  for  Mr. F.T.Bedford, 
Jr.,  of  Brooklyn.  She  is  30  feet  over  all, 
21  feet  9  inches  on  the  load  water-line, 
with  12  feet  beam.  Her  record  for  1898 
was  thirteen  starts  and  thirteen  firsts. 

11  Starts  13  Firsts. 

May  i6th.— Norwalk. 
May  3oth. — Norwalk. 

Iune  25th —Indian  Harbor, 
uly  2(3.— New  Rochelle. 
uly  4th.— Larchrnont. 
uly  cth.— Riverside, 
uly   i4th.— Seawanhaka;   won  in   30-foot  class    by 
eight  minutes  actual  time. 
July  2sd.— Norwalk. 

July  3oth. — Indian  Harbor  ;  won  on  resail. 
August  i3th.— Horseshoe  ;  ^o-foot  class  by  twenty-si:: 
minutes. 

August  2oth. —  Huguenot. 
August  26th.— Huntington. 
September  3d. — Atlantic. 

zs-foot  cabin  catboat  Wanda:  zift.  gin.,  1.  w.  1.;  vjft. 
o.  a.;  beam  uft.  Designed  and  built  by  the  Herreshoff 
Manufacturing  Co.,  Bristol,  R.  I.  Owned  by  F.  T. 
Bedford,  Jr.,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


MID-SECTION    OF    "EVOLUTION. 


SHEER-PLAN    OF    "EVOLUTION." 


The  Type  of  Yacht.  109 

By  a  glance  at  the  illustration  of 
Wanda  (p.  104)  it  will  be  seen  that  Mr. 
Nat  Herreshoff,  her  designer,  has  intro- 
duced the  modified  form  of  fin-keel 
which  he  exploited  so  successfully  in 
Vigilant.  Wanda,  in  point  of  fact,  was 
designed  and  built  to  elude  the  measure- 
ment rule  in  force  at  the  time  of  her 
creation.  Like  Gloriana,  when  heeled, 
she  gets  the  benefit  of  long  overhangs 
forward  and  aft,  while  at  the  same  time 
she  escapes  the  penalty  of  excessive 
length  on  the  load  water-line.  Taking 
into  consideration  all  her  features,  it 
must  be  candidly  acknowledged  that 
she  is  the  most  "scientific"  catboat 
that  "tonnage-cheating  "  ingenuity  ever 
devised.  Both  the  principles  of  yacht 
designing  that  worked  so  admirably  in 
Vigilant  and  Gloriana,  namely  the 
large  lateral  plane  and  the  increased 
water-line  length,  when  heeled,  have 
been  embodied  in  Wanda.  The  result 
has  been  a  gratifying  success.  Catboats 
of  the  olden  time  used  to  measure  about 
the  same  length  over  all  and  on  the 
water-line.  It  remained  for  Mr.  Her- 
reshoff to  produce  a  boat  21  feet  on 
the  water-line  with  an  over-all  length 
of  30  feet. 

In  marked  contrast  to  the  Wanda  is 
the  catboat  Dorothy,  which  is  quite 
famous,  both  as  a  cruiser  and  a  racer, 
on  Long  Island  Sound.  She  is  a  sturdy 
boat  that  can  give  a  good  account  of 
herself  in  a  blow,  and,  in  addition  to 
this  most  excellent  quality,  she  has  a 


112 


Yachting  Wrinkles. 


nice  roomy  cabin,  in  which  every  inch 
of  space  is  utilized.  Her  mast  is  well 
secured  by  means  of  stays  and  spread- 
ers, and,  as  may  be  seen  from  the 
illustration,  her  rig  is  scientific  and 
down  to  date. 

The  Dorothy  is  interesting  as  show- 
ing the  transition  stage  between  the 
old  -  fashioned  catboat  and  the  new 
Wanda,  which  is  sure  to  become  popular 
as  a  racing  machine,  .but  from  her 
limited  accommodations  is  not  likely  to 
be  much  sought  after  as  a  correct  type 
for  mere  cruising. 

I  have  said  before  that  Evolution  was 
the  parent  of  the  ballast  fin,  and  in  an 
article  I  wrote  for  OUTING  many  years 
ago  I  think  I  made  out  a  good  case. 
She  was  designed  by  Mr.  E.  H.  Bentall, 
an  English  manufacturer  of  ploughs 
and  other  agricultural  implements, 
whose  famous  yawl,  Jullanar,  created  a 
sensation  when  she  came  out  in  1875, 


"ROCKET,"    1851. 


The  Type  of  Yacht.  115 

from  the  circumstance  that  the  dead- 
wood  was  cut  away  fore  and  aft  in  the 
most  audacious  manner.  She  was,  per- 
haps, the  most  original  tonnage  cheater 
ever  built,  as  a  study  of  her  plans  will 
show.  The  cutting  away  of  her  fore- 
foot was  followed  by  Mr.  G.  L.  Watson 
in  his  design  of  Thistle,  but  he  overdid 


"NIAGARA'S"  MIDSHIP  SECTION. 

it,  leaving  the  yacht  without  sufficient 
lateral  plane  for  successful  windward 
work.  Jullanar's  dimensions  follow  : 
Length  over  all,  no  feet  6  inches; 
depth  of  hold,  12  feet  ;  length  on  load 
water-line,  99  feet ;  extreme  beam,  16 
feet  10  inches  ;  draught  forward,  i  foot 
6  inches  ;  draught  aft,  13  feet  6  inches. 


n6  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

Evolution  was  launched  in  1880.  She 
was  built  to  sail  in  the  ten-ton  class, 
and  was  the  first  yacht  of  which  I  can 
find  any  record  to  carry  a  bulb  of  lead 
on  the  keel.  The  transition  to  the  Her- 
reshoff  fin-keel  was  natural  and  easy. 

The  first  yacht  to  be  fitted  with  a 
weighted  centerboard  was  Rocket,  whose 
sheer-plan  and  mid-section  are  on  p.  112. 


"  RORQUAL,"  TWO   AND   ONE-HALF   RATER,   1894. 

Niagara,  a  most  successful  yacht  of 
the  bulb-fin  type,  was  designed  by  Mr. 
Nat  Herreshoff  for  Mr.  Howard  Gould 
in  1895.  She  made  a  splendid  record 
that  year  in  British  waters.  She  was 
sailed  by  Captain  John  Barr,  who  was 
skipper  of  Thistle  when  Volunteer  beat 
her  in  1887. 

Jubilee,  a  fin-keel,  with  lead  bulb  and 


The  Type  of  Yacht.  i  \  7 


"  DAD.' 


two  centerboards,  was  designed  by 
General  Paine  for  a  possible  Cup  de- 
fender in  1893.  She  was  122  feet  over 
all,  84  feet  6  inches  on  the  water-line, 


"  VESPER." 


n  8  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

22  feet  6  inches  extreme  beam,  and  had 
a  draught  of  13  feet  9  inches.  She  com- 
peted in  the  trial  races  of  1893  against 
Vigilant,  Co  Ionia  and  Pilgrim,  and  was 
unsuccessful. 

Fin-keels  of  the  freak  variety  were 
produced  in  large  quantities  on  both 
sides  of  the  Atlantic,  following  each 
other  in  quick  succession.  Two  of  Eng- 
lish design  are  shown  in  the  illustra- 
tions. One  is  the  Rorqual,  the  other  the 
Nameless.  Neither  proved  successful. 

The  last  five  years  have  been  remark- 
able for  the  prolific  production  of 
"  freaks "  and  monstrosities,  three  of 
which  I  show,  the  Skate,  Vesper  and 
Dad,  all  racing  machines.  In  marked 
contrast  to  these  abortions  is  the 
Seawanhaka  knockabout  Kewaydin,  a 
wholesome  type  of  boat  with  many  good 
qualities  to  recommend  it.  I  advise 
all  my  readers  to  fight  shy  of  "freaks," 
especially  those  of  flimsy  construction. 

As  a  matter  of  history  it  may  be  men- 
tioned that  the  centerboard  schooner 
Vesta,  in  the  midwinter  ocean  race  of 
1866,  and  the  centerboard  schooner  Iro- 
quois,  in  the  blizzard  of  March,  1888, 
both  acquitted  themselves  admirably, 
much  to  the  surprise  of  the  prejudiced 
devotees  of  the  keel  type. 

The  double-hull  type  of  craft  came 
prominently  before  the  yachting  fra- 
ternity in  1898,  and  will  doubtless  be 
exploited  in  many  ingenious  ways  here- 
after. The  development  of  a  type  of 
vessel  whose  origin  is  lost  in  the  mist  of 


The  Type  of  Yacht. 


121 


antiquity  into  a  racing  machine  like  the 
twenty-footer  Dominion  attracted  the 
attention  of  naval  architects  generally 
to  Mr.  Herrick  Duggan,  the  Canadian 
yacht  designer,  who  for  three  consecu- 
tive years  has  humbled  the  pride  of  the 
Seawanhaka  Corinthian  Yacht  Club  by 
keeping  in  Kanuck  hands  the  cherished 
international  challenge  cup,  won  with 
singular  ease  off  Oyster  Bay  in  1896. 


FIG.    I.       THE    "DOMINION,"    ON    EVEN    KEEL. 


THE        DOMINION,       HEELED. 


Mr.  Duggan,  of  course,  did  not  pretend 
to  be  the  originator  of  a  new  type  of  sail- 
ing craft,  but  he  may  safely  lay  claim 
to  whatever  laurels  are  due  to  the  fac- 
ulty of  astute  adaptation.  He  succeeded 
in  a  field  where  others  tried  and  failed. 
He  skillfully  modified  the  principle  of 
the  Malay  proa,  and  introduced  its  sali- 
ent characteristics  into  a  vessel  small 
indeed  in  the  matter  of  dimensions,  but 


122  Vac  Jit  ing  Wrinkles. 

huge  when  its  inherent  scientific  possi- 
bilities are  considered.  Since  Nat  Her- 
reshoff  made  practicable  the  crude  fin- 
keel  of  former  designers,  no  such  inter- 
esting phase  of  marine  architecture  has 
been  evolved. 

As  a  matter  of  historical  fact,  it  re- 
mained for  Mr.  Duggan  to  revive  inter- 
est in  the  type,  and  this  he  did  most 
effectually  by  the  production  of  Domin- 
ion. The  craft  has  given  rise  to  much 
discussion  among  yachtsmen  and  in  the 
press,  both  at  home  and  abroad.  The 
point  of  sailing  in  which  Dominion  ex- 
cels is  close-hauled  on  a  wind  or  with 
the  wind  abeam.  It  is  then  that  she  sails 
on  her  lee  hull  only,  the  weather  hull 
serving  the  same  purpose  as  the  ballast 
of  a  "  sand  bagger,"  enabling  her  to 
carry  a  good  press  of  sail.  This  is 
shown  by  Figure  II.,  which  portrays  her 
when  heeled.  With  the  wind  dead  aft 
and  both  hulls  immersed,  Dominion  in 
the  races  at  Dorval  was  slightly  slower 
than  her  rival,  her  paramount  advantage 
being  gained  when  sailing  with  one  hull 
immersed. 

Dominion's  dimensions  are  :  Length 
over  all,  35  feet  10  inches;  on  load 
water-line,  17  feet  6  inches;  extreme 
beam,  7  feet  7^  inches;  beam,  load 
water-line  one  bilge,  2  feet  5^  inches  ; 
draught  of  hull,  10  inches;  draught 
writh  board,  6  feet ;  freeboard,  i  foot  ; 
displacement,  1,750  Ibs.  ;  area  midship 
section,  total  2.88  square  feet ;  sail  area, 
500  square  feet. 


"  DOMINION." 


The  Type  of  Yacht.  125 

I  remember  how  fascinated  I  was  as 
a  boy  by  the  perusal  of  "  Lord  Anson's 
Voyage  Round  the  World,"  telling  how 
that  famous  English  navigator,  in  his 
stout  ship  Centurion,  doubled  Cape 
Horn  in  1740,  visited  the  romantic  isle 
of  Juan  Fernandez,  and  enriched  him- 
self and  his  accompanying  bold  seadogs 
by  the  capture  of  a  Spanish  galleon 
literally  laden  with  treasure.  Incident- 
ally, the  book  describes  the  surprise  ex- 
perienced by  the  ship's  company  at  the 
first  sight  of  the  proa,  as  used  by  the 
natives  of  the  Ladrones.  In  a  copy  of 
the  first  edition  of  the  work,  in  my 
father's  library,  was  a  quaint  illustra- 
tion of  the  proa  under  sail,  with  a  plan 
drawn  to  scale,  from  which  I  made  a 
crude  model,  and  sailed  her  on  an  arm 
of  the  sea  that  washed  the  beach  not 
fifty  yards  from  our  front  door.  I  was 
not  slow  to  recognize  the  advantage  of 
the  type  in  windward  work.  It  was 
my  good  fortune  in  the  year  1870,  from 
the  deck  of  the  East  Indiaman  Hurkaru, 
bound  to  Madras,  to  obtain  my  first 
view  of  the  Singhalese  type  of  flying 
proa  off  the  coast  of  Ceylon.  The  sight 
was  novel  and  picturesque,  and,  being 
young  and  impressionable  in  those  days, 
it  was  photographed  indelibly  on  my 
mind. 

The  southwest  monsoon  was  blowing 
briskly  and  the  Hurkaru  was  bowling 
along  with  stunsails  set  at  a  nine-knot 
gait.  It  was  my  forenoon  watch  below, 
and  I  was  suddenly  awakened  by  a  ship- 


126  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

mate  who  invited  me  on  deck  to  look  at 
the  "queerest  craft  I  ever  saw."  Turn- 
ing out  in  a  hurry  I  followed  him,  and 
from  the  topgallant  forecastle  saw  the 
proa  in  the  act  of  shooting  across  our 
bows.  The  breeze  piped  at  a  "three- 
man  power,"  for  that  number  of  lithe 
and  swarthy  lascars  straddled  the  out- 
rigger to  windward,  hanging  on  by  their 
eyelids,  after  the  manner  of  mariners 
the  seas  over.  The  sail  that  propelled 
this  craft  was  of  the  sprit  variety,  but 
was  made  of  cotton  stuff  and  not  of 
matting,  as  was  the  sail  described  in 
"Anson's  Voyage."  She  darted  past  us, 
with  rare  velocity,  throwing  the  spray 
over  her  crew  in  fine  style.  There  were 
six  or  seven  of  them  in  the  main  hull  of 
the  proa,  the  helmsman  steering  with 
a  rather  long  paddle.  After  she  had 
cleared  the  ship's  bows  she  luffed  up 
sharp  and  seemed  to  point  almost  in  the 
wind's  eye,  the  sail  sitting  quite  flat,  un- 
like the  sails  of  the  ordinary  "  country 
wallah,"  which  are,  as  a  rule,  of  the 
baggy  kind.  I  judged  her  speed  at 
about  sixteen  knots — certainly  not  less. 
The  mast  and  sprit  of  her  sail  were  of 
bamboo,  the  rigging  of  kyar.  Subse- 
quently I  had  several  opportunities  of 
inspecting  these  proas,  and  subjecting 
them  to  a  close  examination — notably  at 
Pointe  de  Galle,  where  the  Hurkaru 
touched  to  take  in  cargo  on  her  home- 
ward voyage. 

The  main  portion  of  the  hull  proper 
consists  of  a  trunk  of  a  tree  hollowed 


The  Type  of  Yacht.  129 

out  and  hewn  into  symmetrical  shape, 
bow  and  stern  both  being  pointed.  The 
bilge  of  the  weather  side  is  neatly 
rounded,  while  the  lee  side  is  as  flat  as 
the  side  of  a  half  model  of  a  vessel  that 
is  nailed  to  a  board.  Cut  a  double-end 
boat  in  two  longitudinally,  take  one  of 
the  sections  and  nail  on  planks  so  as  to 
form  a  wall-like  side,  and  you  have  a  fair 
imitation  of  the  principle  of  the  main 
hull  of  the  Singhalese  proa.  To  this 
trunk,  when  hewn  into  shape,  are  fas- 
tened the  topsides,  which  consist  of 
planks  of  suitable  length  and  thickness 
bound  with  lashings  of  kyar  rope,  the 
seams  being  calked  with  cocoanut  fibre, 
which  swells  when  water-soaked.  Not 
a  nail  is  used  in  the  construction  of  the 
craft,  it  resembling  in  this  detail  the 
famous  Masoolah  boats  of  the  Madras 
coast.  In  all  its  essentials  the  charac- 
teristics of  the  proa  of  the  Ladrones  de- 
scribed by  Anson  are  reproduced.  The 
cigar-shaped  log,  which  is  connected  to 
the  main  hull  by  bamboo  outriggers 
(which  give  the  necessary  elasticity)  and 
kyar  lashings,  is  hewn  out  of  a  solid  and 
rather  heavy  tree.  This  gives  the  re- 
quired stability,  and  in  a  strong  breeze 
pretty  nearly  all  hands  "hike  out"  to 
windward  on  it,  leaving  only  the  helms- 
men (one  at  each  end)  aboard  the  main 
ship.  It  need  not  be  said  that  the 
Singhalese  are  as  nearly  amphibious  as 
it  is  possible  for  human  bipeds  to  be. 


IV. 
FITTING  OUT  AND  TUNING  UP. 

HINTS   AS    TO    GOING    INTO     COMMISSION    AND    MAK- 
ING   THE    CRAFT    FIT    FOR    A    RACE. 

WE  will  now  assume  that,  either  by 
buying  or  building,  the  amateur 
yachtsman  has  come  into  pos- 
session of  a  craft  which  he  in- 
tends to  race  this  season.  If  he  has  had 
the  vessel  built  to  his  order,  the  de- 
signer will  have  seen  that  she  complies 
with  the  specifications,  which,  of  course, 
include  all  gear  necessary  for  her  mug- 
hunting  efforts.  If  he  has  purchased  a 
second-hand  vessel,  after  having  her 
surveyed  by  a  competent  naval  archi- 
tect it  might  be  well  to  learn  from  him 
what  repairs,  if  any,  are  needed  to  her 
hull  or  rigging.  The  next  thing  to  do 
is  to  obtain  estimates  for  making  the  re- 
pairs ;  and  imless  the  yachtsman  is  an 
old  hand  at  the  business,  and  knows  ap- 
proximately what  should  be  the  cost  of 
such  work,  I  should  advise  him  to  ob- 
tain figures  from  two  or  more  concerns 
if  extensive  work  is  called  for. 

It  is  unbusinesslike  and  unsatisfactory 
to  order  a  master  shipwright  to  haul  a 
yacht  out  and  make  such  alterations 


Fitting  Out  and  Tuning  Up.    131 

and  repairs  as  he  may  deem  requisite, 
but  examples  of  such  fatuousness  have 
been  known  and  have  afforded  much 
profit  to  lawyers  and  much  unhappiness 
to  clients  on  both  sides.  A  shipwright 
may  have  views  of  his  own  about  a  rac- 
ing yacht,  and  it  is  inadvisable  to  give 
carte  blanche  to  any  builder  of  ships,  or 
even  of  houses. 

In  these  days  of  progress  in  yacht 
naval  architecture,  to  the  man  of  sen- 
timent there  will  always  be  one  source 
of  regret.  The  owner  of  a  success- 
ful yacht  that  has  gallantly  won  scores 
of  well -contested  races  and  has  proudly 
flaunted  a  superb  string  of  racing 
flags  at  the  close  of  her  second  sea- 
son, cannot  help  having  an  affection 
for  his  vessel,  especially  if  she  was 
designed  and  built  to  his  order.  To 
think  that  after  a  few  short  seasons  she 
has  become  outclassed — a  regular  back 
number — naturally  awakens  many  sad 
reflections. 

Old-timers  remember  that  racing 
craft,  when  their  cup-winning  days  were 
over,  were  converted  into  comfortable 
cruising  craft,  fishing  boats,  or  pilot  cut- 
ters. Nowadays  such  a  transition  is  im- 
possible. In  many  cases  an  expensive 
fin-keel  is  outclassed  in  a  single  sea- 
son, and  I  have  yet  to  learn  what  use 
she  can  be  put  to  when  her  career  after 
cups  comes  to  an  inglorious  finish.  Her 
lead,  metal  bolts,  spars,  sails  and  fig- 
ging may  fetch  a  fraction  of  their  first 
cost  in  a  junk-shop  ;  but  few  yachtsmen 


132  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

would  care  to  buy  a  vessel  of  the  kind 
indicated  for  cruising  or  fishing  pur- 
poses, not  only  because  of  the  lack  of 
accommodation,  but  also  on  account  of 
the  unhandiness  of  the  fixed  fin,  whose 
vicious  qualities  can  never  be  fully  ap- 
preciated until  one  happens  to  get  stuck 
in  the  mud  or  sand  with  the  tide  fast 
ebbing  and  no  tug  in  sight  or  any  other 
means  of  hauling  off  into  deep  water 
available. 

In  the  good  old  days  of  yacht  racing 
it  was  customary  to  lengthen,  "hip  out," 
rebuild  and  otherwise  alter  a  boat  that 
showed  signs  of  having  outlived  her 
usefulness,  and  in  a  rejuvenated  condi- 
tion bring  her  to  the  line  again  and 
with  her  achieve  new  conquests.  Such  a 
method  is  rarely  resorted  to  nowadays. 
In  fact,  it  is  doubtful  whether  it  would 
pay.  Mr.  J.  Rogers  Maxwell,  who  owned 
the  schooner  Emerald,  is  one  of  the  few 
yachtsmen  in  this  country  who,  of  late 
years,  have  made  extensive  alterations 
in  large  racing  vessels  with  any  degree 
of  success.  He  practically  rebuilt  the 
sloop  Shamrock,  and  greatly  improved 
her  speed,  and  has  twice  made  radical 
changes  in  the  Emerald  at  great  ex- 
pense, both  processes  making  her  slight- 
ly faster. 

Among  the  many  yachts  which  were 
altered  often  and  extensively  may  be 
mentioned  the  famous  sloop  Grade, 
designed  and  built  at  Nyack-on-the- 
Hudson,  by  A.  Polhemus.  She  was 
launched  in  July,  1868,  her  dimensions 


SLOOP   "  GRACIE." 


SCHOONER   "SAPPHO." 


Fitting  Out  and  Tumng  Up.    135 

being-  60  feet  3  inches  over  all,  58  feet  on 
the  water-line,  18  feet  8  inches  beam, 
5  feet  6  inches  depth  of  hold,  and 
5  feet  draught.  Her  center  board  was 
lengthened  2  feet  aft  in  1869.  She  was 
altered  in  1874,  and  when  completed 
measured  as  follows  :  length  over  all, 
72  feet  9  inches  ;  on  water-line  62  feet ; 


CUTTER    "  GENESTA. 

beam,  20  feet  6  inches  ;  depth  of  hold,  6 
feet  6  inches  ;  draught  5  feet  8  inches. 
In  1879  she  was  rebuilt  by  David  Carll, 
at  City  Island,  her  length  over  all 
being  79  feet  10  inches,  on  water-line 
72  feet  2  inches  ;  beam,  21  feet  6  inches  ; 
depth  of  hold,  7  feet  2  inches,  and 
draught,  6  feet  6  inches.  In  1886  she 
was  given  12  inches  more  freeboard. 


136  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

She  sailed  in  the  trial  races  against 
Bedouin,  Puritan,  and  Pnscilla,  for  the 
honor  of  defending  the  America's  cup 
against  Genesta,  but  that  task  was  given 
to  Puritan. 

The  keel  cutter  Colonia,  built  by  Her- 
reshoff  as  a  cup  defender  to  sail  against 
Valkyrie  //.,  proved  less  fast  than  Vigi- 
lant. Her  fault  was  a  deficiency  of  lat- 
eral plane,  which  made  her  sag  off 
bodily  to  leeward  in  a  most  discouraging 
manner.  After  serving  as  a  drill  ship 
for  the  crew  of  the  Defender  in  1895,  she 
was  purchased  by  Commodore  Clarence 
A.  Postley,  fitted  with  a  centerboard 
from  a  plan  by  Gary  Smith,  at  Lewis 
Nixon's  shipyard,  and  rigged  as  a 
.schooner.  She  is  now  (1899)  the  crack 
American  "  two-sticker." 

Old-timers  will  recollect  how  slow  the 
schooner  Sappho  was  until  Capt.  "  Bob  " 
Fish  hit  upon  the  bold  expedient  of 
"  hipping  her  out,"  which  was  done  by 
swelling  out  her  midship  section  about 
fourteen  inches,  and  tapering  it  off  to 
nothing  about  thirty  feet  each  way.  The 
result  was  that  Sappho,  theretofore  so 
sluggish  that  she  could  scarcely  get  out 
of  her  own  way,  beat  nearly  every  craft 
bold  enough  to  encounter  her,  and  won 
many  cups  and  much  kudos  for  her 
sportsmanlike  owner,  Mr.  William  P. 
Douglas.  Mr.  A.  Cass  Canfield  altered 
the  sloop  Pnsctlla  considerably,  but  it 
cannot  be  said  that  he  was  altogether 
successful.  When  Volunteer  was  trans- 
formed into  a  schooner  her  forebody 


138  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

was  reconstructed,  and  she  made  an  en- 
viable record  as  a  "  two-sticker  ;  "  but 
when  rerigged  as  a  sloop  she  never 
showed  an  approach  to  her  original 
splendid  form,  as  I  think  most  yachts- 
men will  frankly  concede. 

Our  British  cousins  used  to  have  a 
perfect  craze  for  rebuilding  famous 
yachts,  the  old  crack  cutters  Alarm  and 
Arrow — both  celebrated  prize-winners 
— being  notable  examples  of  this  ruling 
passion.  But  both  here  and  in  England 
the  custom  of  materially  altering  the 
form  of  a  yacht's  hull  in  the  hope  of  im- 
proving her  speed  may  be  said  to  have 
gone  completely  out  of  fashion.  This 
is  doubtless  due  to  the  radical  and  rapid 
changes  in  hulls,  brought  about  by  the 
frequently  shifting  rules  of  measure- 
ment for  time  allowance  and  the  art- 
fully ingenious  methods  of  generations 
of  yacht  designers  to  get  the  better  of 
those  selfsame  rules. 

I  only  mention  these  just  to  give  a 
practical  illustration  of  the  way  the  old- 
timers  used  to  alter  and  rebuild  their 
beloved  boats.  The  custom  is  now  ob- 
solete. If  a  racing  machine  of  the 
present  day  is  not  outclassed  in  her 
third  season  she  is  looked  upon  as  quite 
a  smart  craft.  It  may  thus  be  perceived 
that  conditions  have  altered  considerably 
during  the  last  decade. 

On  general  principles  it  is  unwise  to  go 
in  for  very  extensive  alterations  on  a 
yacht  of  any  kind,  whether  cruiser  or 
racer.  If,  however,  you  are  determined 


Fitting  Out  and  Tuning  Up.    139 


to  go  ahead,  I  advise  you  to 
be  sure  to  have  an  iron-clad 
contract  as  to  cost. 

While  your  boat  is  being 
repaired  or  altered,  ship 
your  sailing-master,  scru- 
tinizing his  references  as  to 
ability  and  character  with 
care,  and  if  possible  supple- 
ment this  examination  by  an 
interview  with  his  last  em- 
ployer before  engaging  him. 

Of  course,  much  depends 
upon  the  size  of  your  craft 
and  the  depth  of  your 
pocket.  A  Hank  Haff  or  a 
Charley  Barr  would  be  too 
expensive  a  luxury  for  a 
craft  of  modest  dimensions, 
and  a  boat-owner  in  matters 
of  this  kind  must  depend 
much  upon  his  own  judg- 
ment ;  it  is  impossible  to 
give  him  advice  except  in 
the  most  general  way. 

The  work  of  fitting  out  a 
racing  yacht  preparatory  to 
tuning  up  for  the  season's 
sport  is  exceptionally  inter- 
esting to  the  real  amateur, 
but  the  owner  who  has  no 
true  regard  for  yachting 
generally  finds  the  process 
somewhat  of  a  bore.  In 
"  Boat  Sailing,  Fair  Weather 
and  Foul,"  a  companion 
volume  to  this  book,  there 


Rig  of  Cutter 
showing-  Mast- 
head Shroud. 


140  Yachting   Wrinkles. 

is  a  chapter  on  "  The  Overhauling  of  a 
Yacht,"  which  contains  a  useful  wrinkle 
or  two,  of  which  the  reader  may  avail 
himself  if  he  feels  so  disposed.  The 
same  is  true  of  the  chapter  on  "  Laying 
up  for  the  Winter,"  which  is  indorsed  by 
naval  architects  and  practical  seamen. 

It  is  customary  with  some  builders  to 
have  a  sail-loft  annex  to  the  shipyard, 
and  these  men  are,  in  most  cases,  anx- 
ious to  contract  for  the  sails  as  well  as 
for  the  hull  of  a  boat.  I  should  not  ad- 
vise any  yacht-owner  who  contemplates 
racing  his  craft  to  employ  anyone  but 
the  most  skilful  manipulator  of  duck  to 
make  his  sails,  which  are  of  as  much 
consequence  as  the  hull  itself  so  far  as 
the  winning  of  cups  and  prizes  is  con- 
cerned. 

The  man  of  fashion,  ambitious  of  be- 
ing well  attired,  so  as  to  shine  socially, 
doesn't  go  to  Baxter  street  for  a  dress 
suit.  Neither  does  a  yachtsman  patron- 
ize a  tentmaker  for  a  racing  mainsail  or 
a  well-cut  jib.  There  is  no  objection  to 
the  shipbuilder  contracting  for  the  sails 
if  he  desires  to  make  a  little  extra 
money,  but  the  yacht  owner  should  take 
care  that  the  name  of  the  sailmaker  ap- 
pears in  the  contract,  and  this  will  be  a 
sufficient  guarantee  for  first-class  work. 
There  are  many  firms  in  the  United 
States  justly  famous  as  yacht  sailmak- 
ers,  and  these  are  of  such  high  standing 
that  their  names  marked  on  the  sails 
supplied  insures  the  best  in  the  way  of 
cut  and  the  quality  of  material.  It  is  a 


Fitting  Out  and  Tuning  Up.    141 

great  mistake  to  exercise  any  cheese- 
paring economy  on  a  yacht's  means  of 
propulsion,  whether  it  be  steam  or  duck. 
The  best  in  the  market,  whether  it  be 
machinery  or  sails,  is  none  too  good. 

A  cruising  craft  with  a  slovenly  or 
slatternly  owner  may,  perhaps,  be  con- 
tent with  a  suit  of  sails  that  fits  like  a 
purser's  'shirt  on  a  handspike,  with  a 
mainsail  all  abag  and  headsails  that 
would  disgrace  a  coal  barge  ;  but  even  a 
cruising  craft  may  be  caught  on  a  lee 
shore  with  a  gale  of  wind,  and  perhaps 
the  owner  will  curse  his  fatuous  econo- 
my when  he  has  tried  in  vain  to  claw  off 
the  beach  with  his  baggy  sails  and  finds 
that  his  craft  is  crunching  to  pieces  in 
the  surf  and  he  himself  is  struggling 
for  life  in  the  treacherous  undertow. 

The  cost  of  racing  sails  is  high,  and, 
ordinarily,  a  yacht  that  goes  the  clip- 
hunting  circuit  needs  a  new  mainsail 
every  season.  Under  careful  manage- 
ment, however,  a  mainsail,  with  good 
luck,  has  been  known  to  do  good  ser- 
vice for  two  summers.  The  quality  of 
cotton  duck  has  improved  appreciably 
of  late,  owing  to  a  better  method  of 
manufacture,  and  sails  "  sit  "  better  and 
do  not  "  bag  "  as  they  used  to.  Cotton 
is  king,  so  far  as  racing  sails  go,  in  Eu- 
rope as  well  as  America,  flax  having 
been  entirely  superseded  by  it.  The 
change  from  flax  to  cotton  began  in 
England  about  1893. 

The  rig  of  a  racing  yacht  should  be 
no  more  neglected  than  her  sails.  The 


142  Yachting   Wrinkles. 

spars  should  be  hollow  on  2o-footers  and 
all  in  excess  of  that  class.  The  stand- 
ing rigging  should  be  of  silver-steel 
wire,  set  upbyturnbuckles.  The  blocks 
should  be  strong  and  light,  and  the  run- 
ning rigging  of  the  best  quality.  There 
should  not  be  a  superfluous  ounce  of 
weight  in  the  craft  alow  or  aloft  if  the 
winning  of  cups  is  what  the  owner  has 
in  view. 

Rigging  screws  or  turnbuckles,  which 
have  superseded  deadeyes  and  lanyards 
for  the  setting  up  of  standing  rigging, . 
were  first  used  in  1877  on  the  English 
cutter  Verve.  They  are  used  now  on 
all  racing  yachts. 

In  the  old  days  of  reefing  bowsprits 
it  was  quite  a  usual  event  to  carry 
away  several  bobstays  during  the  sea- 
son. The  long  overhang  forward  of  the 
modern  yacht  has  reduced  the  length 
of  the  bowsprit,  and  consequently  the 
strain  on  the  spar  when  pitching  into  a 
heavy  head  sea.  The  overhang  also 
gives  better  facilities  for  handling  the 
head-sails. 

Flexible  silver-steel  wire  rope  is  now 
used  for  running  rigging  in  many  yachts, 
notably  for  runners  and  runner  tackles, 
and  also  for  peak  and  throat  halyards. 

The  best  spars  for  large  yachts  are 
made  of  Oregon  fir.  This  splendid 
wood  is  the  best  in  the  world  for  the 
purpose.  Some  spars  have  been  known 
to  measure  nearly  40  inches  in  diameter, 
and  some  172  feet  long  ;  the  average 
length  of  spars  shipped  to  Atlantic  ports 


Fitting  Out  and  Tuning  Up.    143 

from  the  Pacific  coast  is  90  feet,  and 
the  diameter  22  to  23  inches.  Oregon 
fir  is  stronger  than  spruce  or  white  pine, 
and  hence  less  diameter  is  required  for 
the  same  height.  Spruce  is  in  general 
use  for  the  spars  of  smaller  craft.  Steel 
booms  for  racing  yachts  were  first  used 
on  Defender  and  Valkyrie  III. 

The  greatest  improvements  in  the 
rigging  of  yachts  of  recent  years  have 
been  the  masthead  shrouds,  bridles  on 
gaffs,  and  the  comparatively  new  throat- 
halyard  pennants.  In  a  spanking  breeze 
there  is  a  great  strain  on  the  masthead, 
also  much  play,  but  by  the  adoption  of 
the  three  devices  mentioned  the  strains 
are  both  minimized  and  equalized. 
Large  vessels  carry  double  masthead 
shrouds,  and  smaller  craft  single  ones. 
Vigilant  was,  I  believe,  the  first  Ameri- 
can yacht  to  be  fitted  with  them.  Now 
they  are  carried  by  every  craft  of  con- 
sequence. Gaff  bridles  and  throat-hal- 
yard pennants  are  indispensable  to  the 
rigging  of  every  racing  yacht  from  the 
smallest  cat  to  the  largest  schooner. 

If  your  craft  is  large  enough  to  spread 
two  shrouds  on  each  side,  have  them 
fitted  in  pairs.  A  bight  and  a  good  seiz- 
ing are  preferable  to  two  single  eyes. 

The  bowsprit  -  shroud  outriggers  or 
spreaders  should  be  bolted  fast  to  the 
ship  without  any  hinged  joint.  This 
prevents  any  unnecessary  play  when  the 
boat  plunges  bows  under  in  a  heavy 
head  sea.  There  should  be  the  same 
length  of  shroud  between  the  spreader 


144  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

and  the  bowsprit  end,  and  the  spreader 
and  the  turnbuckle  which  sets  them  up. 
The  strain  is  thus  divided  equally  and 
advantageously.  The  bobstay  spreader 
or  dolphin-striker  should  always  have  a 
hinged  joint. 

The  rigging  of  Uncas  is  fitted  as  fol- 
lows :  Bobstay,  2  YZ -inch  steel  wire ;  fore- 
stay,  2-inch  do.;  jibstay,  i^-inch  do.; 
bowsprit  shrouds,  i^-inch  do.;  standing 
rigging,  i^-inch  do.;  masthead  shroud, 
i  ^/s-inch  do.  ;  topmast  gear,  all  i  inch 
do.;  runner  shrouds,  i^ -inch  do.;  spring 
stay,  i YZ -inch  do.;  main  lifts,  i y^ -inch 
flexible  ip-thread  steel  wire  ;  gaff 
bridles,  i^-inch  do.;  peak  and  throat 
halyards,  2^-inch  manila  bolt-rope ; 
main  sheet,  2-inch  do.;  fore  sheet,  1 24- 
inch  do.;  head  sheets  and  minor  gear  in 
proportion. 

The  Vigil,  of  similar  design,  is  rigged 
precisely  the  same,  with  the  exception 
that  her  main  peak  and  throat  halyards 
are  of  i-inch  flexible  steel  wire,  the  fore 
peak  and  throat  halyards  of  ^6 -inch 
do.;  club-topsail  halyards,  ^6-inch  do. 

Lengths  of  manila  are  so  spliced  to 
these  flexible  wire  halyards  that  when 
they  are  belayed  the  splice  is  about  six 
feet  above  the  deck.  This  flexible  steel 
answers  remarkably  well.  When  once 
set  up,  it  stays  set  up.  There  is  no 
"  give  "  to  it,  and  thus  frequent  "  sway- 
ing on  it,"  as  is  the  case  with  hemp  rope, 
is  quite  unnecessary. 

A  modern  25-foot- water-line  single- 
sticker  with  a  pole  mast,  is  rigged  as 


146  yachting  Wrinkles. 

follows  :  Bobstay,  rod  of  steel  24 -inch 
in  diameter,  set  up  with  a  turnbuckle. 
at  end  of  bowsprit ;  shrouds,  two  on 
each  side,  i^-inch  steel  wire  ;  forestay 
set  up  to  stem  head,  i^-inch  do.;  jib 
set  flying,  hoisted  with  ^-inch  8-strand- 
ed  flexible  steel  halyards,  set  up  with  a 
jig-purchase  ;  runner  shrouds  of  ^-6-inch 
steel  wire  canvased  over  ;  main  lifts,  24 - 
inch  flexible  steel  wire,  painted,  par- 
celed, served  over  with  white  cod-line, 
and  then  covered  with  white  canvas 
sewed  on  ;  the  throat  and  peak  halyards 
are  of  2i-inch  flexible  steel  wire.  The 
blocks  are  all  strapped  with  grommets 
of  flexible  steel  wire,  served  and  leath- 
ered. 

From  these  examples  a  fair  idea  of 
the  modern  method  of  rigging  a  racing 
craft  may  be  gathered.  Strength,  light- 
ness, and  neatness  are  the  qualities 
sought  and  attained.  Steel  wire  is  now 
largely  used  for  the  leech  ropes  of  sails, 
and  it  is  strongly  recommended  by  our 
"  swellest "  sailmakers. 

The  above  I  owe  to  my  old  sea-faring 
friend,  John  F.  Byno,  who  put  the  neat- 
est splice  ever  seen  in  the  Brooklyn 
Bridge  cable,  and  is  an  expert  with  the 
marlinspike,  as  all  the  members  of 
the  Seawanhaka  Corinthian  Yacht  Club 
can  bear  witness. 

Flexible  steel-wire  rope  is  nearly  if 
not  quite  as  pliable  as  new  hemp  rope 
of  the  same  strength.  It  is  made  with 
nineteen  wires  to  the  strand.  The 
greater  the  diameter  of  the  sheaves 


No   i.  Side  view  of  main  masthead 
No  2.  Back  view  of  main  masthead. 


MASTHEADS   OF    "  UNCAS. 


NO.   3. 


NO.  4. 


Side  view  of  fore  masthead. 
Back  view  of  fore  masthead. 

MASTHEADS    OF    "  UNCAS. '' 


Fitting  Out  and  Tuning  Up.    149 

over  which  it  passes,  the  longer  it  will 
last.  The  manufacturers  recommend 
as  a  preservative  a  mixture  of  linseed 
oil  and  pine  tar.  It  is  impossible  to 
belay  wire  rope  to  a  cleat,  as  it  will 
surely  "  render  "  or  slip.  Manila  rope 
is  therefore  spliced  to  the  hauling  end 
of  the  wire,  which  makes  it  pleasanter 
to  haul  on,  and  insures  its  remaining 
fast  after  it  is  once  belayed.  I  would 
not  counsel  a  lubber  to  try  to  splice  wire 
and  rope  together,  unless  in  the  privacy 
of  a  separate  room.  Why  ?  Because 
the  bystanders  would  be  sure  to  laugh. 
It  takes  an  artist  to  make  this  most 
difficult  splice. 

Grommet  straps  for  blocks  made  of 
flexible  steel  wire  cannot  be  surpassed. 
After  making  the  grommet,  paint  well 
with  raw  linseed  oil  and  white  lead  ; 
parcel  with  canvas,  serve  with  marline, 
apply  another  coat  of  paint,  and  then 
cover  with  leather  or  canvas  sewn  on. 
For  neatness,  strength,  and  durability 
this  method  is  superior  to  any  other. 
But  it  requires  an  expert  to  do  the  work. 

With  regard  to  turnbuckles  for  set- 
ting up  all  kinds  of  standing  rigging,  it 
must  be  conceded  that  they  are  indis- 
pensable for  racing  craft  both  large 
and  small.  One  advantage  of  deadeye 
and  lanyard  for  deep-water  cruising  is 
that  if  it  should  be  necessary  to  cut 
away  the  mast  to  save  the  ship  when 
hove  on  her  beam  ends,  a  cut  with  an 
axe  will  sever  the  weather  lanyards  and 
away  goes  the  mast.  The  turnbuckle 


150  Yachting   Wrinkles. 

cannot  be  cut.  A  combination  of  turn- 
buckle,  and  deadeye  and  lanyard,  might 
be  fitted  so  as  to  combine  the  advantages 
of  both. 

The  bulwarks  of  racing  yachts  have 
been  reduced  in  height  to  mere  battens. 
All  deck  fittings  have  been  lightened  as 
much  as  the  designers  dared.  All  with 


CUTTER    "  MINERVA.  ' 

the  intention  of  reducing  weight,  iron- 
work on  spars  looks  very  frail  when 
compared  with  that  of  a  decade  ago,  and 
the  weight  of  blocks  has  been  diminished 
in  some  cases  more  than  fifty  per  cent. 
The  abolition  of  all  cabin  fittings  first 
took  place  in  the  Marquis  of  Ailsa's 
Bloodhound,  built  in  1874.  All  she  had 
in  her  cabin  was  a  seat  along  each  side. 


Fitting  Out  and  Tumng  Up.    151 

It  is  only  comparatively  recently  that 
yacht  designers  have  made  serious  ef- 
forts to  reduce  weight  aloft.  Some- 
times they  have  gone  too  far.  I  re- 
member a  40-  foot  cutter,  built  to  sail 
against  the  Scotch  cutter  Minerva.  She 
was  dismasted  in  a  puff  on  the  occasion 
of  her  first  race,  which  was  also  her 
maiden  sail.  The  same  mishap  befell 
her  later  on  in  a  fine  sailing  breeze  off 
Newport.  I  was  on  the  committee  boat 
which  towed  her  into  port.  If  she 
hadn't  been  well  handled  after  being 
disabled  some  serious  accident  might 
have  happened  to  her  hull.  The  ac- 
cident was  ascribed  to  defective  iron- 
work. 

It  is  of  no  benefit  to  stay  the  masts 
of  pleasure  vessels  with  rigging  heavy 
enough  for  a  great  brig.  A  sense  of 
proportion  should  be  observed.  Scien- 
tific men  have  calculated  and  tabulated 
the- stress  and  strain  that  wood,  metal, 
wire  and  hempen  rope  will  bear,  and 
these  tables  may  be  consulted  by  any- 
body able  to  read. 

It  is  a  fact  that  piano  wire  plays  a 
leading  part  in  the  rigging  of  some 
of  the  ciown-to-date  little  racing  freaks 
one  meets  nowadays,  especially  in  fresh 
water  where  it  is  less  exposed  to  cor- 
rosion. It  is  highly  spoken  of  by  those 
who  have  used  it.  Better,  however,  not 
to  go  to  extremes  and  always  to  be- 
ware of  a  spider-web  rig.  Like  flimsy 
construction  it  causes  a  yacht  to  come 
to  grief. 


152 


Yachting  Wrinkles. 


A  good  example  of  lightness  of  rig 
was  the  15  -  footer  Ethelwynn,  de- 
signed by  Mr.  W.  P.  Stephens,  to  de- 
fend the  International  Challenge  Cup 
of  the  Seawanhaka  Corinthian  Yacht 
Club.  It  will  be  remembered  that  she 
beat  Mr.  Brand's  Spruce  IV. >  which  boat 


SAIL    PLAN    OF    "  ETHELWYNN." 

was  quite  heavily  rigged  when  com- 
pared with  the  American  craft.  The 
mast  was  a  hollow  spar  of  4^  inches, 
a  far  too  heavy  stick,  as  experience 
proved,  for  one  of  3  inches  and  about 
half  the  weight  would  have  been  suf- 
ficiently strong.  The  hollow  boom  was 


HALF    RATER    "SPRUCE    IV. 


FIFTEEN-FOOTER    "  KTHELWYNN. 


Fitting  Out  and  Tuning  Up.    155 

2^4  inches  diameter  in  the  slings.  The 
rigging  was  of  phosphor  -  bronze  wire 
rope,  the  forestay  being  332-inch  di- 
ameter, shrouds  ^B-inch  diameter,  and 
runners  ^-inch.  Main  and  jib  halyards 
were  of  the  same  material,  £-inch  diame- 
ter. The  main-halyard  ran  over  a  2- 
inch  sheave  in  the  masthead,  a  single 
part  with  a  whip-tackle  at  the  deck.  The 
jib-halyard  was  double  with  a  jig.  The 
running  rigging  was  of  imported  Eng- 
lish cord.  She  carried  198  square  feet 
of  duck. 

I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  Stephens  for  the 
description  and  the  accompanying  sail 
plan. 

J.  M.  James,  Vice-Commodore  of  the 
Imperial  Model  Yacht  Club,  of  Tokio, 
Japan,  is  enthusiastic  in  praise  of  lacquer 
as  a  coating  for  the  outside  skin  of 
yachts.  He  says  that  all  the  club's 
models  have  their  topsides  and  bottoms 
lacquered  ;  and  after  numerous  experi- 
ments for  testing  those  thus  treated 
against  painted  craft  an  increase  of 
speed,  amounting  to  ten  per  cent.,  was 
found  in  favor  of  the  lacquered  ones. 
A  model  yacht  once  well  lacquered,  with 
care  and  barring  accidents,  will  last  a 
lifetime  and  retain  its  luster.  He  says 
that  all  the  Japanese  naval  ships  have 
their  bottoms  lacquered.  The  lacquer 
gives  increased  speed  and  almost  pre- 
vents fouling,  and  if  properly  put  on 
lasts  for  three  years.  The  only  draw- 
back is  that  the  process  is  very  expen- 
sive. 


156  Yachting   Wrinkles. 

Here  is  an  opportunity  for  some  en- 
terprising individual  to  experiment  with 
lacquer.  If  he  proves  successful  he 
will  gain  the  gratitude  of  yachtsmen. 
Incidentally,  he  will  also  win  a  large 
pecuniary  reward. 

In  the  matter  of  a  compass  the  racing 
yachtsman  should  be  careful.  In  thick 
weather,  when  steering  for  a  mark,  it  is 
necessary  that  the  deviation  for  every 
point  should  be  known.  In  wooden 
yachts  there  is  no  difficulty,  if  ordinary' 
precautions  are  taken,  in  keeping  com- 
passes exact.  In  iron  and  steel  yachts 
they  have  to  be  licked  into  shape  by  a 
professional  adjuster  of  reputation. 

In  spite  of  opinions  to  the  contrary, 
held  by  old  salts,  the  compass  is  not  af- 
fected by  fog,  thunder,  or  attraction  of 
land.  It  should  be  remembered,  how- 
ever, that  magnetism  exerts  its  magical 
influence  through  all  bodies,  no  matter 
how  dense,  while  light,  heat  and  elec- 
tricity do  not  possess  this  wonderful 
property. 

Thus,  casing  an  iron  bulkhead  with 
wood  or  covering  an  iron  stanchion  with 
copper  or  canvas  will  not  prevent  the 
metal  from  affecting  the  compass.  It 
may  be  thought  superfluous  to  assert 
such  a  well-known  scientific  fact  in  this 
year  of  the  world,  but  experience  teaches 
me  that  there  is  still  much  to  be  learned 
by  those  who  go  down  to  the  sea  in 
yachts. 

It  is  not  generally  known  that  no  iron 
vessel  has  been  struck  by  lightning. 


Fitting  Out  and  Tuning  Up.    157 

The  wooden  spars  have  been  shattered 
frequently  by  the  electric  fluid,  but, 
owing  to  the  circumstance  that  water  is 
a  better  conductor  than  iron,  the  hull 
of  an  iron  vessel  has  never  suffered.  If 
the  spars  of  an  iron  ship  are  made  of 
iron,  the  vessel  may  be  looked  upon  as 
immune  from  disaster  by  lightning. 

As  soon  as  your  craft  is  fitted  out 
place  her  in  commission,  and  proceed  to 
become  acquainted  with  her.  Prizes 
are  won  only  by  hard  work,  and  if  you 
intend  to  make  a  record  for  yourself 
and  your  craft  you  can  attain  your  end 
by  honest  industry  only. 

Part  of  the  sea-jockey's  stock  in  trade 
is  to  discover  how  slow  a  yacht  may  be 
made  to  go  with  every  stitch  of  sail  set 
ostensibly  to  the  best  advantage,  with 
sheets  pulling  like  horses  and  trimmed 
to  perfection.  It  is  only  the  most  subtle 
and  knowing  customer  that  can  so  mas- 
ter a  yacht  as  to  excel  in  this.  The  most 
accomplished  proficient  I  ever  knew 
was  the  skipper  of  the  Scotch  ten-ton 
cutter  Madge,  which  came  over  in  1881, 
and  created  a  great  revolution  in  yacht- 
ing. That  man  could  make  the  boat 
almost  speak.  By  manipulating  the 
sheets,  slacking  one  or  flattening  in  an- 
other, and  by  other  tricks  unknown  to 
this  deponent,  I  have  seen  him  allow 
an  oyster-boat  to  beat  the  crack  racing 
cutter.  The  name  of  that  canny  skipper 
was  Duncan.  The  Yankee  captains 
who  sailed  against  him  are  not  likely  to 
forget  it. 


158  Yac htmg   Wrinkles. 

I  remember  reading  somewhere  about 
a  yacht  skipper  of  experience  who  fooled 
a  younger  rival  and  caused  him  much 
unhappiness  during  a  hotly  contested 
race  on  the  Solent.  It  was  blowing  a 
piping  breeze,  and  Sally,  the  rival  craft, 
had  one  reef  in  her  mainsail  and  the 
topmast  struck.  Bantam,  on  the  other 
hand,  was  the  stiffer  of  the  two,  and 
held  on  to  the  whole  mainsail,  but  also 
dowsed  topmast.  Sally  had  passed  Ban- 
tam, and  was  leading  her  some  fifty 
yards.  Both  yachts  were  at  that  time 
sheltered  by  the  land,  but  a  few  hun- 
dred yards  ahead  a  big  sea  was  running 
in  the  West  Channel. 

It  was  at  this  moment  that  the  sly  old 
sea  dog  played  his  low-down  trick  on 
the  green  young  skipper,  who  was 
watching  his  every  action. 

"  Up  with  the  topmast,  lads  !  "  yelled 
Captain  Sly  of  the  Bantam. 

His  crew  made  a  great  pretense  of 
swaying  away  on  the  heel  rope,  but 
somehow  or  other  it  got  jammed  and 
stayed  jammed,  in  spite  of  the  apparent 
efforts  made  to  clear  it. 

Captain  Green  thought  he  would  be 
smart.  He  sent  up  his  topmast  in  sea- 
manlike  style.  The  topsail  was  set  just 
as  the  Sally  encountered  the  heavy  sea 
in  the  channel.  She  made  one  dive  and 
buried  herself  up  to  the  skylight.  The 
pressure  was  too  much  for  her.  In  an 
instant  Bantam's  topmast  was  housed, 
and  all  the  gear  fast  again,  and  while 
Sally  was  pitching  and  'scending  in  the 


Fitting  Out  and  Tuning  Up.    159 

choppy  sea  Bantam  crawled  through 
her  lee  and  beat  her.  Captain  Green 
was  so  demoralized  by  the  trick  of 
which  he  was  the  victim  that  he  did  not 
regain  his  self-possession  until  it  was 
too  late. 

Captain  Sly  was  convinced  that  Cap- 
tain Green  would  imitate  him  in  every- 
thing, and  the  result  proved  that  he  had 
formed  a  correct  estimate  of  his  op- 
ponent. 

It  is  not  wise  or  politic  to  undervalue 
the  sailing  qualities  of  an  opposing 
yacht,  especially  when  she  is  practically 
an  unknown  quantity.  In  other  words, 
don't  prophesy  unless  you  know.  Here 
is  a  case  in  point  : 

When  the  Madge  was  about  due  to 
sail  her  first  race  in  these  waters,  the 
skipper  of  her  Yankee  opponent  is  said 
to  have  paid  a  visit  to  Sawyer,  the  sail- 
maker,  and  asked  for  the  loan  of  some 
flying  kites. 

"Any  old  stuff  will  do,"  quoth  the 
skipper.  "  I've  only  got  to  knock  out 
that  narrow  -  gutted  coffin  anchored 
yonder." 

The  sails  were  lent  by  Mr.  Sawyer, 
and  it  is  needless  to  say  that  they  did 
not  fit  "like  paint  on  a  post."  The 
"  coffin  "  beat  the  "  skimming  dish  " 
with  singular  ease. 

I  put  this  little  yarn  on  record  only 
just  to  show  the  contempt  the  average 
American  yachtsman  had  at  that  time 
for  the  epoch-making  Madge. 

The  proper  balancing  of  sails  is  im- 


160  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

perative  when  racing.  To  illustrate  my 
meaning  I  need  only  refer  to  the  deci- 
sive race  between  Vigilant  and  Valkyrie 
for  the  A  merica's  Cup,  which  all  but  re- 
sulted in  the  winning  of  the  race  by  the 
British  yacht.  In  point  of  fact,  Val- 
kyrie, had  not  her  two  spinnakers  blown 
away,  would  have  romped  in  victori- 
ously. In  the  beat  to  the  outward 
mark  Vigilant  carried  a  reefed  main- 
sail and  a  big  jib,  and,  for  the  first  time 
in  her  history,  required  lee  helm.  This 
blunder,  in  addition  to  her  centerboard 
becoming  jammed,  made  Valkyrie  beat 
her  im.  555.  on  the  windward  leg.  Val- 
kyrie had  a  half-reef  in  her  mainsail, 
but  shifted  her  jib  and  set  one  whose 
center  of  effort  was  in  exact  accord 
with  the  reduced  after-canvas.  Vigi- 
lant won  by  forty  seconds  only,  and  had 
it  not  been  for  the  Valkyrie's  hard  luck 
would  have  been  badly  defeated. 

On  July  13,  1889,  the  Katrina,  while 
racing  against  the  Titania  in  a  reefing 
breeze,  carrying  a  big  jib  and  a  reefed 
mainsail,  suffered  a  like  deserved  defeat. 
Under  her  ill-balanced  sail-spread,  for 
the  first  time  in  her  history,  she,  too, 
carried  lee  helm,  and  sagged  off  to  lee- 
ward like  a  haystack  adrift.  She  made 
a  pitiable  exhibition  of  herself,  and  all 
hands  rejoiced  when  her  main  boom 
snapped  off  and  permitted  her  to  with- 
draw without  disgrace.  Meanwhile  Ti- 
tania, splendidly  handled  by  Captain 
Haff  and  Mr.  C.  Oliver  Iselin,  sailed 
over  the  course  and  won  the  race. 


Fitting  Out  and  Tuning  Up.    163 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  mis- 
haps to  both  Katrina  and  Vigilant 
occurred  on  the  i3th  of  the  month. 

The  jibtopsail  when  a  yacht  is  close- 
hauled  is  of  very  little  use,  especially  in 
a  bit  of  a  breeze.  Some  skippers  set 
what  is  known  as  a  "  baby-jibtopsail" 
when  the  wind  is  very  light.  It  is  ques- 
tionable if  the  sail  is  of  any  benefit  at 
all  under  such  circumstances.  In  my 
opinion,  the  sail  makes  the  boat's  head 
sag  off  to  leeward,  lee  helm  being  the 
result.  If  no  such  sail  were  made,  I 
think  it  would  never  be  missed.  Of 
course,  with  the  wind  free  the  jibtop 
sail,  from  its  most  diminutive  size  to  its 
most  extreme  balloon  development,  is  a 
very  valuable  sail. 

In  taking  note  of  the  speed  of  boats 
the  length  should  be  considered.  I  re- 
member that  the  4o-footer  Gossoon,  the 
conqueror  of  the  Scotch  cutter  Minerva 
in  1890,  without  any  tide  to  help  or  re- 
tard her,  made  in  a  race  I  saw  an  aver- 
age of  nine  knots  an  hour.  This  means 
that  to  accomplish  this  feat  she  had  to 
run  her  length  in  2^  seconds.  A  little 
reflection  will  show  that  this  is  a  remark- 
able achievement  for  so  small  a  vessel. 

It  may  be  mentioned  here  that  a 
nautical  mile,  a  knot,  and  a  geographical 
mile  are  one  and  the  same  thing.  A 
knot  equals  1.15  statute  miles.  Multiply 
the  number  of  knots  by  1.15,  and  you 
have  the  distance  in  statute  miles. 
There  are  6,080  feet  in  a  knot ;  5,280 
feet  in  a  statute  mile, 


164  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

Chronometers  should  be  kept  free 
from  damp,  dust,  and  draughts.  When 
winding  turn  the  key  steadily,  avoiding 
any  jerky  action.  Most  of  them  require 
seven  and  a  half  turns  of  the  key. 
Wind  slowly  and  steadily  as  far  as  the 
mechanism  will  permit.  Wind  punc- 
tually at  the  same  hour  every  da)-.  A 
chronometer  that  has  run  down,  on 
being  wound  up  again,  will  probably 
not  start  until  it  has  been  quickly  but 
not  violently  slued  half  round  and 
back  again.  This  is  easily  done  by 
placing  the  instrument  on  the  table, 
and  turning  it  horizontally  between 
the  hands.  Take  care  that  the  instru- 
ment has  neither  too  much  nor  too  little 
side-play  in  the  gimbals.  A  standard 
compass  stowed  away,  while  in  port, 
close  to  a  chronometer  has  been  known 
to  ruin  the  going  of  the  watch,  the 
powerful  compass  needles  having  by 
induction  magnetized  the  steel  portion 
of  the  balance.  Do  not  stow  a  chronom- 
eter close  to  an  iron  bulkhead,  an  iron 
vessel's  side,  the  upper  or  lower  end  of 
a  vertical  iron  stanchion,  or  within  eight 
feet  of  compass  compensating  magnets. 
The  chronometer  case  should  not  be 
screwed  down  to  a  table  containing 
drawers  which  might  possibly  be  used 
to  hold  spare  compass  cards.  Chronom- 
eters should  be  kept  away  from  iron 
almost  as  religiously  as  compasses. 

Jolting  in  a  railway  train  or  a  con- 
veyance of  any  description  is  liable  to 
alter  the  steady  going  of  a  chronom- 


Fitting  Out  and  Tuning  Up.    165 

eter.  The  quick  jerk  of  a  boat  pro- 
pelled by  oars  is  still  more  likely  to 
prove  injurious.  If,  therefore,  a  chro- 
nometer has  to  be  taken  from  one  place 
to  another  in  a  pulling  boat,  it  should 
be  held  free  in  the  hand  by  the  leather 
straps,  taking  care  to  avoid  a  circular 
motion.  When  traveling  by  train  place 
the  instrument  on  a  pile  of  overcoats  or 
rugs,  in  such  a  position  that  it  will  not 
fall.  Marine  chronometers  are  intended 
always  to  be  kept  strictly  horizontal 
with  the  face  up.  Never  allow  a  chro- 
nometer to  run  longer  than  four  years 
without  having  it  overhauled  by  a  first- 
class  workman.  If  it  is  a  new  instru- 
ment, it  should  be  looked  at  after  a  year 
or  eighteen  months. 


"AMERICA,"  1899. 


V. 
DUTY    AND   DISCIPLINE    AFLOAT. 

THE  SHIP'S  COMPANY  IN  DETAIL  FROM  THE 
SKIPPER  TO 'THE  SEA-COOK. 

TO  cruise  with  pleasure  from  port 
to  port  and  to  win  races — the 
yacht  owner  must  remember  that 
he  can  do  neither  unless  his  sail- 
ing-master thoroughly  understands  his 
business.  Whether  amateur  or  profes- 
sional, the  skipper  must  be  a  man  of 
dash  and  daring  tempered  with  a  mod- 
est soup^on  of  discretion,  active,  vigil- 
ant, with  his  weather  eye  wide  open  at 
all  times  and  seasons.  He  must  have 
the  knack  of  handling  men  so  as  to  get 
every  foot-pound  of  energy  out  of  them 
that  is  in  them.  He  should  be  a  strict, 
but  not  necessarily  a  stern,  disciplin- 
arian; and  he  should  have  sufficient  dip- 
lomatic instinct  in  his  make-up  to  know 
when  to  wink  at  a  slight  lapse  on  the 
part  of  a  generally  capable  and  faith- 
ful blue-jacket. 

The  personnel  of  the  racing  yacht  is 
of  the  greatest  importance,  and,  if  not  of 
the  best,  the  career  of  the  vessel  is  not 
likely  to  be  crowned  with  the  laurels  of 
success.  The  man  in  command  must 
have  the  rare  gift  of  personal  magnet- 


Duty  and  Discipline  Afloat,     167 

ism,  the  art  of  inspiring  enthusiasm,  of 
compelling  victory.  A  cool  head  is  no 
less  necessary  than  are  nerves  of  steel. 
He  must  be  a  splendid  helmsman,  a  good 
practical  seaman  and  skillful  navigator. 

A  man  possessed  of  all  these  attri- 
butes commands  high  wages  and  de- 
serves all  he  can  get.  The  discipline  of 
his  yacht  is  perfect.  Everything  goes 
with  the  precision  of  clockwork,  at  sea 
or  in  port.  He  is  prepared  for  every 
emergency  that  may  arise  when  at  an- 
chor or  under  way,  and  is  never  caught 
napping.  Keeping  a  watchful  eye  on 
the  interests  of  his  owner,  he  is  also 
careful  of  his  crew,  being  fully  aware 
of  the  evil  consequences  of  a  discon- 
tented forecastle,  and  knowing  that 
sulky  or  surly  sailors  never  yet  were 
conducive  to  the  capturing  of  sea  tro- 
phies. A  good  skipper  must  therefore 
be  a  good  judge  of  human  nature,  alive 
to  the  idiosyncrasies  and  frailties  of 
sailors,  who  have  in  good  sooth  as  many 
whims  and  vagaries  as  silly  schoolgirls 
in  the  transition  stage  of  development. 
In  fact  he  should  be  quite  a  past  master  in 
the  cunning  art  of  "jollying  along."  It 
is  astonishing  what  a  number  of  men 
there  are  who  possess  all  these  qualifica- 
tions. Modest,  unassuming  men,  skill- 
ful navigators  and  seamen  they  will 
prove  to  be,  and  you  can  avail  yourself 
of  their  services  for  a  moderate  compen- 
sation. 

There  is  no  fixed  scale  of  wages  for  a 
yacht  skipper.  The  sailing-master  of  a 


1 68  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

large  steam  yacht  may  be  paid  $3,000  a 
year, while  the  skipperof  a  racing  5  i-foot- 
er  might  think  himself  lucky  if  he  gets 
$80  a  month  with  the  prospect  of  being 
paid  off  when  the  yacht  goes  out  of  com- 
mission. This  practice  of  engaging  a 
skipper  for  the  season  seems  to  me  to 
be  short-sighted  policy.  It  cannot  be 
expected  that  a  captain  hired  for  three 
months  only  will  take  more  than  a  pass- 
ing interest  in  the  vessel.  He  would  be 
more  than  human  if  he  lay  awake  nights, 
scheming  how  to  save  his  owner  money. 
Whereas,  an  honest,  conscientious  skip- 
per, assured  of  receiving  living  wages 
all  the  year  round,  will  more  than  earn 
his  salary  by  the  extra  care  he  takes  of 
the  yacht.  He  naturally  looks  upon 
the  vessel  as  a  prime  source  of  revenue. 
He  realizes  that  it  is  to  his  interest  to 
run  her  as  economically  as  possible,  to 
keep  her  in  thorough  repair  and  order 
at  the  least  possible  cost,  to  make  life 
aboard  her  as  pleasant  as  possible  to  his 
owner  and  his  guests,  to  win  as  many 
prizes  as  he  can  if  the  boat  is  a  racer,  or 
if  simply  a  cruiser  to  get  her  talked 
about  for  a  phenomenally  fast  passage 
from  one  port  to  another,  for  beating  a 
rival  of  approximate  size  by  a  handsome 
margin,  or  for  successfully  reaching  her 
destination  in  a  heavy  blow,  when  other 
boats  were  glad  to  scud  under  bare  poles 
for  a  harbor.  These  little  acts  if  per- 
formed with  tact,  make  an  owner  prouder 
than  ever  of  his  yacht  and  more  appreci- 
ative of  the  services  of  his  skipper. 


Duty  and  Discipline  Afloat.     169 

Permit  me  to  illustrate.  A  friend  of 
mine  several  winters  ago  purposed  to 
buy  a  schooner  and  fit  her  out  for  a 
West  Indian  cruise.  He  provided  him- 
self with  a  number  of  tickets  of  admis- 
sion to  several  vessels  laid  up  in  a  dock 
at  South  Brooklyn.  He  invited  me  to 
accompany  him  on  a  prospecting-  tour. 
It  was  a  dirty  day,  sleet,  snow  and  wind 
being  the  objectionable  features  that 
confronted  us. 

Our  first  port  of  call  was  the  office  of 
the  dock,  where  we  found  a  man  in 
charge  who  examined  our  credentials 
and  sent  to  a  neighboring  tavern  for  the 
"ship-keeper,"  who  he  said  had  "gone 
to  lunch."  In  about  half  an  hour  this 
functionary  made  his  appearance,  and 
piloted  us  to  the  pier  where  several 
schooners  which  we  desired  to  look  at 
were  moored.  We  boarded  the  first  on 
our  list,  a  cruising  vessel  of  some  celeb- 
rity, whose  owner  desired  to  sell  her,  as 
he  was  building  a  steamer.  The  decks 
were  deep  with  water,  the  scuppers  be- 
ing obstructed.  Everywhere  were  signs 
of  disgraceful  neglect.  The  binnacle 
was  a  mass  of  ver-digris.  Costly  and  ar- 
tistic wood  carving  was  without  protec- 
tion from  the  weather.  The  handsome 
companion  way  of  mahogany  was  with- 
out a  canvas  cover.  Going  below  we 
found  everything  mildewed  and  musty. 
The  bedding  in  the  berths  was  damp. 
Water  trickled  from  the  deck  beams. 
What  really  had  been  a  most  attractive 
interior  presented  an  appearance  of 


170  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

dampness  most  dispiriting,  as  well  as 
every  evidence  of  decay.  It  was  indeed 
pitiable  to  see  such  a  fine  vessel  in  so 
sad  a  plight.  We  passed  on,  and  in- 
spected two  other  craft  whose  condition 
was  only  slightly  better,  and  which  pre- 
sented few  attractions  from  a  purchaser's 
point  of  view. 

The  next  yacht  we  visited  was  in 
marked  contrast  to  the  others.  A  hand- 
some, sunburned  man  greeted  us  at  the 
gangway,  and  after  we  had  explained 
our  mission,  invited  us  below.  He  was 
the  captain  of  the  schooner,  he  told  us, 
and  was  spending  the  winter  aboard  of 
her.  Stepping  down  into  the  cabin  we 
saw  a  snug  and  cozy  saloon,  a  cheerful 
fire  burning  in  the  open  grate,  every- 
thing bright  and  spick  and  span,  as 
though  the  yacht  was  in  Newport  at  the 
height  of  the  season.  A  pretty  young 
woman  was  at  work  at  a  sewing  ma- 
chine, while  a  pampered  Persian  cat 
basked  luxuriously  on  a  handsome  rug 
in  front  of  the  fire 

"This  is  my  wife,  gentlemen,"  he 
said,  and  then  he  showed  us  all  over  the 
vessel  from  right  forward  to  right  aft. 
The  staterooms  were  in  perfect  order, 
not  a  sign  of  damp  or  mildew  anywhere. 
Everything  was  clean  and  spotless  as  a 
new  pin.  We  found  that  the  skipper 
had  been  in  charge  of  the  yacht  from 
the  day  of  her  launch,  that  he  and  the 
steward  and  a  boy  lived  on  her  every 
winter  and  kept  her  in  thorough  order 
outside  and  inside. 


Duty  and  Discipline  Afloat.     17 1 

We  were  shown  the  logs  of  several 
deep-water  cruises  she  had  made,  to- 
gether with  track  charts  of  the  voyages. 
We  were  entertained  with  an  intelligent 
and  interesting  description  of  the  yacht's 
behavior  in  a  hurricane  off  Bermuda, 
given  with  a  wealth  of  seamanlike  de- 
tail, which  we  both  hugely  enjoyed.  It 
was  evident  that  the  skipper  was  a  firm 
believer  in  his  boat,  and  that  he  had 
tended  her  with  care  and  loving  kind- 
ness from  her  christening  to  that  day. 
He  explained  that  his  owner  had  mar- 
ried a  woman  who  hated  the  sea.  and 
that  the  vessel  was  in  the  market  at  a 
reasonable  price. 

That  schooner  now  flies  my  friend's 
private  signal,  and  that  same  skipper  is 
still  her  sailing-master,  and,  according 
to  his  employer,  is  worth  his  weight 
in  gold.  This  practical  illustration  may 
demonstrate  the  advantage  of  employ- 
ing a  sailing-master  by  the  year  and  not 
by  the  season. 

Every  word  I  have  written  about  a 
skipper  applies,  in  the  case  of  a  steam 
yacht,  to  the  engineer.  And  if  possible, 
still  more  strongly,  for  the  deterioration 
of  marine  engines  left  without  care  or 
protection  is  both  rapid  and,  I  need 
hardly  add,  costly  in  the  extreme. 

I  strongly  advise  a  yacht  owner  who 
thinks  he  has  the  skill  and  knowledge 
requisite  for  the  command  of  a  yacht,  to 
assume  command  himself  and  dispense 
with  the  services  of  a  professional  sail- 
ing-master. Let  him  ship  a  competent 


172  Vachting  Wrinkles, 

man  as  mate  and  give  him  to  understand 
that  his  duty  is  to  carry  out  the  owner's 
orders,  and  simply  to  act  as  executive 
officer.  It  is  impossible  that  a  yacht  can 
have  two  captains  and  turn  out  a  cup 
winner.  Jacob  found  two  wives  in  the 
same  house  quite  incompatible  ;  and  the 
discipline  of  a  racing  craft  with  the 
owner  and  the  sailing-master  both  issu- 
ing commands  at  the  same  time  is  not 
unlikely  to  be  lax,  and  with  lax  disci- 
pline races  cannot  be  won. 

The  treatment  of  the  sailing-master  by 
the  yacht  owner  varies  according  to 
the  temperament  and  disposition  of  the 
latter.  A  gentleman  is  incapable  of 
rudeness  to  an  employe — especially  to  a 
man  holding  so  responsible  a  position, 
and  in  charge  of  such  a  valuable  piece  of 
personal  property  as  a  yacht.  The  judi- 
cious owner  always  treats  his  skipper 
with  respect.  If  he  desires  to  preserve 
proper  discipline  aboard,  he  will  let  the 
crew  see  that  the  captain  has  his  en- 
tire confidence.  The  owner,  therefore, 
should  always  give  his  orders  to  the 
skipper,  who  will  then  communicate 
them  to  the  crew.  For  instance,  if  he 
wants  a  boat  lowered  he  should  not  sing 
out  to  the  crew  to  lay  aft  and  lower  the 
launch.  That  would  be  a  grave  breach 
of  yachting  etiquette.  The  correct 
course  to  pursue  is  to  tell  the  captain 
that  he  wants  the  boat,  and  leave  to  him 
the  issuance  of  the  necessary  commands 
for  the  carrying  out  of  his  wish.  This 
may  seem  a  small  matter,  but  it  is  really 


Duty  and  Discipline  Afloat.     173 

of  importance.  If  neglected,  it  is  sub- 
versive of  discipline.  The  owner  should 

always  address  the  master  as  Mr. , 

never  as  "  Skipper  "  or  "Cap,"  as  is  too 
often  the  case  aboard  a  certain  class  of 
craft  conducted  after  slipshod  methods. 
The  men  should  always  address  the 
sailing-master,  and  also  the  mate,  as 
"  Sir,"  and  no  departure  from  this  rule 
should  be  tolerated.  The  sailing-mas- 
ter should  be  held  responsible  for  any 
breach  of  discipline  on  the  part  of  thi 
crew,  and  his  authority  should  always 
be  sustained  by  the  owner. 

I  have  seen  more  than  one  sailing- 
master  who,  not  content  with  tyrannis- 
ing over  the  crew,  held  the  owner  in 
complete  subjection.  It  may  be  readily 
surmised  what  kind  of  worms  these 
owners  were.  But  take  yacht  skippers 
by  and  large,  the  average  is  worthy  of 
confidence  and  respect.  The  percent- 
age of  black  sheep  among  them  is  al- 
most infinitesimal.  The  same  remark 
applies  to  the  mates  and  the  men. 

The  following  hints  to  sailing-masters 
were  written  by  a  dyspeptic  martinet  of 
a  yacht  owner,  but  there  is  much  good 
sense  in  them.  They  are  hung  up  in 
his  sailing-master's  berth  : 
i. — Never  curse  the  crew.  The  owner 

will  do  all  the  swearing. 
2. — Should    the    owner    or    any  of  his 
guests  not  use  tobacco,  never  smoke 
to  windward  of  him  or  them.     Have 
the  goodness  to  step  to  leeward. 
3. — Always   be   at    the  gangway   when 


174  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

the  owner  comes  alongside.  No 
matter  how  warm  it  may  be,  do  not 
receive  him  in  your  shirt-sleeves. 
4. — Have  a  memorandum  of  all  the 
stores  in  your  department.  Do  not 
rashly  answer,  "  There  is  none  on 
board,"  without  consulting  your  list 
when  asked  for  an  article  required. 
5. — There  are  yachts  afloat  whose  own- 
ers are  run  by  the  sailing-masters. 
This  yacht  is  governed  differently. 
6. — If  the  sailing-master  is  at  any  time 
dissatisfied  with  the  owner  or  the 
yacht  he  has  an  unfailing  remedy, 
and  the  sooner  he  avails  himself  of 
it  the  better. 

7. — The  owner  trusts  that  pleasant  re- 
lations will  always  prevail  between 
the  sailing-master  and  himself. 
Having  secured  your  skipper  let  him 
ship  the  crew.  If  your  yacht  is  a  large 
vessel  you  will  need  a  mate.  In  the  in- 
terest of  harmony  it  is  advisable  to  let 
the  skipper  have  some  say  in  the  matter 
of  his  selection.  It  will  be  advisable  to 
look  over  his  credentials,  with  a  view  to 
finding  out  if  he  is  competent  to  take 
charge  of  the  vessel  in  the  event  of  any 
accident  befalling  the  captain.  If  you 
contemplate  a  blue- water  voyage,  be 
careful  that  the  mate  is  a  navigator  and 
has  the  requisite  license.  If  deprived 
of  the  services  of  your  skipper  by  any 
unforeseen  cause,  it  would  be  awkward 
to  find  yourself,  say,  a  thousand  miles 
from  land,  with  nobody  aboard  capable 
of  finding  the  vessel's  position  otherwise 


Duty  and  Discipline  Afloat.     175 

than  by  dead  reckoning — a  hit  or  miss 
method  always  unreliable. 

The  wages  of  mates  vary.  Some  of 
them  are  paid  $10  or  $15  a  month  more 
than  the  men,  whose  pay  ranges  be- 
tween $25  and  $30  a  month.  This  is 
much  more  than  is  paid  to  English 
yacht  sailors,  who  have  to  feed  them- 
selves out  of  their  pay. 

The  mate's  duty  is  to  take  charge  of 
the  yacht  when  the  master  is  below. 
When  the  master  is  on  deck  the  mate's 
station  is  forward.  He  superintends 
the  setting,  taking  in  and  trimming  of 
sails,  and  in  a  general  way  carries  out 
the  skipper's  orders.  He  is  a  very  im- 
portant man  in  a  race,  for  then  the 
captain's  place  is  at  the  helm  and  the 
mate  is  responsible  for  the  proper  work- 
ing of  the  vessel  and  the  prompt  setting 
of  balloon  sails.  If  any  of  the  running 
gear  gets  foul  or  parts  he  is  tolerably 
certain  of  a  brisk  dressing-down,  espe- 
cially if  the  mishap  causes  the  loss  of 
the  race.  The  reason  of  this  is  because 
he  has  charge  of  all  the  gear  and  sails 
and  spars,  and  is  responsible  for  their 
being  always  in  good  condition. 

The  mate  superintends  the  work  of 
getting  under  way,  sees  the  head-sails 
clear  for  hoisting,  looks  after  the  wind- 
lass, sees  that  the  hose  is  played  on  the 
chain  cable  if  the  vessel  has  brought  up 
on  muddy  bottom.  Also  when  coming 
to  anchor  he  sees  that  the  mud-hook  is 
clear  for  letting  go,  all  halyards  read)r 
for  lowering,  booms  in  good  shape  for 


176  yachting  Wrinkles. 

swinging  out,  and  the  boats  in  good  con- 
dition for  lowering.  The  captain  is  in 
command  of  the  starboard  watch,  and 
the  mate  takes  hold  of  the  port  watch. 
In  long  runs  the  watches  are  set  as  in 
ocean  steamers,  the  men  taking  two- 
hour  tricks  at  the  helm  and  the  same 
on  the  lookout. 

The  mate,  as  executive  officer,  super- 
intends the  washing  down  of  the  decks 
in  the  morning,  and  is  held  responsible 
for  the  yacht's  ship-shape  appearance. 
If  any  "  Irish  pennants  "  are  seen  townng 
overboard  or  if  there  is  a  speck  of  dirt 
anywhere  to  be  found,  the  mate  is 
brought  up  with  a  round  turn.  A  good 
mate  is  invaluable,  and  if  he  and  the 
sailing  -  master  work  in  harmony  to- 
gether, the  yacht,  so  far  as  discipline  is 
concerned,  will  be  perfect,  and  the  ves- 
sel will  be  a  pleasant  one  for  all  hands. 
The  mate  in  large  steam  yachts  has 
generally  the  charge  of  the  launch, 
bringing  aboard  guests  and  taking  them 
ashore.  It  is  imperative  that  he  should 
have  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  art 
of  boat-handling  and  that  he  should  be  a 
smart,  all-round  man  in  every  detail. 

Only  very  large  craft  carry  a  boat- 
swain. His  duty  is  to  care  for  the  rig- 
ging and  "  pipe  the  side."  Personally,  I 
like  to  hear  the  cheery  sound  of  his 
whistle.  It  reminds  me  of  old  times. 
The  boatswain  nowadays  finds  no  occu- 
pation for  his  "  call "  on  a  racing  craft. 

Great  Britain  and  the  United  States 
are  the  leading  yachting  nations  of  the 


Duty  and  Discipline  Afloat.     177 

world.  The  yachting  flags  of  both 
countries  have  been  seen  in  nearly  every 
harbor  of  the  globe.  France,  Italy  and 
Germany  have  during  the  last  decade 
made  some  noticeable  progress  in  the 
pastime,  but  neither  in  racing  nor  in 
cruising  have  they  accomplished  any- 
thing of  real  significance. 

For  instance,  how  galling  must  it 
have  been  to  the  patriotic  pride  of  the 
German  Emperor  to  be  forced  to  sail 
his  imperial  racing  cutter,  Meteor,  de- 
signed by  a  Scotchman  and  built  on  the 
Clyde,  with  a  crew  of  Hampshire  and 
Essex  sailors.  But  stern  necessity  com- 
pelled him.  The  German  seaman  has 
many  merits,  but  he  doesn't  show  up 
to  advantage  aboard  a  racing  cutter. 
One  would  have  thought  that  the  Em- 
peror would  have  trained  a  crew  of 
Germans  especially  for  the  task,  but  the 
idea  either  did  not  occur  to  him  or  was 
judged  not  to  be  feasible. 

He  might  have  followed  the  example 
of  our  countryman,  Mr.  C.  Oliver  Iselin, 
the  managing  owner  of  the  Defender, 
who  in  1895  turned  the  tables  on  certain 
of  his  British  critics,  who  had  declared 
that  no  American  crew  could  possibly 
beat  the  trained  British  yacht  sailors  who 
formed  the  crew  of  the  Valkyrie.  These 
seamen,  all  hailed  from  Wivenhoe  or 
Brightlingsea  in  Essex,  had  sailed  in 
cutter  yachts  in  the  summer  and  cutter- 
rigged  fishing  smacks  in  the  winter  from 
boyhood,  and  were  indeed  the  flower  of 
the  racing  sailors  of  England.  Captain 


178  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

Cranfield,  one  of  the  smartest  skippers 
afloat,  had  drilled  them  for  several  sea- 
sons. They  were  pronounced  invincible 
by  recognized  authorities. 

In  previous  contests  for  the  America's 
cup  the  crews  of  the  Puritan,  Mayflower, 
Volunteer  and  Vigilant  were  composed 
largely  of  Scandinavians,  concerning 
whose  ability  as  seamen  I  have  nothing 
to  say  except  in  praise.  It  was  the 
general  idea  that  without  the  Scandina- 
vian element  the  battle  was  lost.  Mr. 
Iselin  undertook  to  expose  the  fallacy  of 
this  notion.  Without  disparagement  of 
the  excellent  yacht  sailors  hailing  from 
Danish,  Swedish  or  Norwegian  ports, 
he  determined  to  prove  practically  that 
the.  native-born  American  sailor,  when 
properly  licked  into  shape,  makes  as 
fine  a  yachtsman  as  ever  trod  a  deck  or 
broke  a  biscuit. 

Accordingly  Captain  Haff  was  sent  to 
Maine,  and  there  the  veteran  skipper 
shipped  an  American  crew  worthy  of 
the  saucy  Stripes  and  Stars  —  active 
young  fellows  who  had  never  sailed  on 
pleasure  craft  but  had  followed  the  sea 
on  fishing  schooners  and  coasting  ves- 
sels. After  being  drilled  by  Captain 
Haff  for  a  few  weeks  they  became  as 
smart  and  efficient  a  crew  as  ever  tailed 
on  to  a  mainsheet  or  manned  club-top- 
sail halyards. 

I  had  many  opportunities  of  compar- 
ing them  with  their  British  opponents, 
and  I  pledge  you  my  word  as  a  sailor 
and  a  gentleman  that  one  crew  was  as 


Duty  and  Discipline  Afloat.     179 

smart  as  the  other  in  setting  or  shorten- 
ing sail  and  in  all  marine  manoeuvres. 
It  was  a  surprise  to  many,  but  nobody 
was  more  astonished  than  Captain  Cran- 
field,  who  admiringly  admitted  the  abil- 
ity and  efficiency  of  the  boys  from 
Maine  who  manned  the  Defender. 

This  achievement  opened  the  eyes  of 
the  British  critics  and  showed  them  of 
what  our  raw  material  is  capable.  It 
was  also  a  surprise  to  many  of  our  rac- 
ing skippers,  who  were  laboring  under 
the  delusion  that  Scandinavian  sailors 
alone  are  capable  of  manning  our  yachts. 
Never  was  a  greater  error.  The  native- 
born  American,  when  properly  trained, 
makes  as  smart  a  yacht  sailor  as  ever 
walked  a  deck. 

Most  of  these  Maine  sailors,  judging 
from  their  names,  belonged  to  the  great 
Anglo-Saxon  race  whose  deeds  afloat 
are  written  on  the  bright  pages  of  sea 
history.  America  has  reason  to  be  proud 
of  her  seafaring  ancestors.  The  infalli- 
ble law  of  heredity  and  the  no  less 
assured  principle  of  the  survival  of  the 
fittest  have  been  well  exemplified  among 
the  dwellers  on  the  British  coasts.  The 
bold  sea-dogs  of  the  West  Country  to- 
day are  fitting  successors  to  those  sturdy 
semi-pirates  who  under  the  flag  of 
Frobisher,  of  Drake,  of  Raleigh  and  of 
Hawkins  shed  so  much  glory  on  the 
nation  they  upheld  and  so  much  of  the 
enemy's  life-blood.  The  smugglers  and 
privateers  of  the  southern  and  eastern 
coasts  may  justly  be  classed  as  the  pro- 


180  Yachting  }\rinkies. 

genitors  of  our  racing  yachtsmen.  For 
be  it  remembered  that  speed  was  the 
prime  necessity  of  their  means  of  liveli- 
hood. The  contests  between  revenue 
cutters  and  luggers  were  continuous 
struggles  for  sea  supremacy.  1  f  a  lugger 
was  captured  by  a  cutter,  the  keel  of 
what  was  hoped  to  be  a  still  faster 
lugger  was  laid,  and  so  the  war  went 
on.  British  privateers  generally  got  the 
best  of  their  Gallic  opponents.  Nelson 
crushed  Great  Britain's  foes  at  sea  as 
effectually  as  Wellington  defeated  her 
enemies  ashore. 

In  the  war  of  1812  America  proved 
her  naval  superiority  by  many  a  heroic 
deed.  Until  the  devastating  cruise  of 
the  Alabama  our  mercantile  marine  was 
our  national  pride.  It  is  true  that  our 
mercantile  fleet  of  to-day  is  by  no  means 
what  it  ought  to  be,  but  it  is  also  a  fact1 
that  our  fine  coasters  and  fishing  vessels, 
although  manned  by  a  large  percentage 
of  foreigners,  are,  as  a  rule,  commanded 
by  native-born  Americans.  Those  of 
our  countrymen  who  follow  the  sea  for 
a  livelihood  soon  rise  in  their  profession. 
The  somewhat  scanty  emoluments  of- 
fered are  sufficient  reasons  for  deterring 
the  average  ambitious  American  youth 
from  seeking  his  fortune  afloat,  but 
should  more  liberal  inducement  ever  be 
offered,  the  sea-loving  Yankee  will  be 
to  the  fore  again. 

That  the  raw  material  is  at  hand  was 
proven  by  the  adaptability  of  the  Maine 
men  to  be  transformed  into  efficient 


Duty  and  Discipline  Afloat.     181 

yachtsmen  in  so  short  a  time.  Had  the 
Emperor  of  Germany  tried  to  convert 
some  of  his  seafaring  subjects  into  a 
crew  for  the  Meteor,  he  might  have  met 
with  a  far  different  result. 

Sailors  are  a  queer  lot,  and  good  ones 
are  to  be  found  in  every  maritime  coun- 
try. In  their  native  climes  a  crew  of 
lascars,  hard  as  nails  and  agile  as  mon- 
keys, cannot  be  surpassed.  Ship  them 
aboard  a  vessel  bound  to  the  English 
Channel  and  due  there  in  midwinter, 
and  you  might  just  as  well  have  a  ship's 
company  of  frozen  earwigs.  In  the  Bay 
of  Bengal,  blow  high  or  blow  low,  you 
couldn't  wish  for  smarter  sailors.  I 
speak  from  personal  knowledge,  having 
had  command  of  a  smart  schooner  en- 
gaged in  a  certain  lucrative  trade  on 
the  Coromandel  coast  and  in  the  China 
seas,  the  precise  nature  of  which  I  de- 
cline to  divulge,  but  which  called  for 
quick  work.  Never  have  I  sailed  with 
a  more  satisfactory  crew  than  Abdool, 
the  Serang,  and  his  twenty  alert  fol- 
lowers. They  made  that  schooner  talk. 
In  the  Bay  of  Biscay  they  would  have 
been  as  useless  as  a  dead  steam-engine. 
They  were  the  most  economical  sailors 
I  ever  knew — five  rupees  a  month  and 
a  modest  ration  consisting  principally 
of  curry  and  rice.  I  wonder  in  what 
seas  my  faithful  Abdool  and  his  lithe 
and  dusky  shipmates  are  cruising  to- 
day, for  I  am  writing  of  thirty  years 
ago,  when  I  was  a  little  spryer  on  my 
pins  than  I  am  at  present. 


1 82  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

The  selection  of  a  crew,  especially  for 
a  deep-water  cruise  likely  to  be  of  long 
duration,  is  an  important  piece  of  busi- 
ness. The  skilled  skipper,  from  long 
experience,  possesses  the  instinctive 
faculty  of  picking  out  the  right  men 
from  a  small  army  of  applicants.  This, 
too,  without  any  unnecessary  delay.  A 
short  talk,  a  glance  at  papers,  and  the 
trick  is  done.  A  sea-lawyer  has  no 
chance  of  being  shipped.  The  skipper 
detects  him  at  once.  He  knows  that 
breed.  The  inexperienced  yacht-owner 
cannot  appreciate  what  troubles  he  is 
saved  from  by  the  wise  selection  of  his 
ship's  company.  One  sea  lawyer  with 
the  pestilent  gift  of  the  gab  will  infect 
a  whole  forecastle  full  of  honest  and 
well-meaning  men,  just  as  one  sheep 
with  the  rot  will  taint  a  sound  and 
healthy  flock.  The  incessant  wagging 
of  his  jaw,  his  perpetual  growlings  like 
a  bear  with  a  sore  head,  are  as  likely  as 
not  to  breed  a  mutiny,  or,  at  any  rate, 
to  make  a  floating  hell  of  that  part  of 
the  vessel  that  is  forward  of  the  fore- 
mast. Such  a  man  will  grumble  even 
if  he  gets  roast  beef  and  plum  duff 
three  times  a  day  and  a  "  nobbier  "  of 
rum  every  hour  of  the  twenty-four. 

It  is  wrell,  therefore,  to  exercise  due 
care  in  shipping  your  crew  if  bound  on 
a  globe-circling  expedition.  Some  own- 
ers insist  that  candidates  for  berths 
aboard  their  ships  shall  undergo  a  med- 
ical examination,  in  order  to  make  sure 
that  they  are  physically  fit  for  a  long 


Duty  and  Discipline  Afloat.     183 

Voyage.  This  is,  in  my  opinion,  a  wise 
course  to  pursue,  for  sickness  at  sea  is 
like  a  wet  blanket  on  the  pleasure  of  a 
voyage,  and  no  owner  wants  to  ship  a 
sailor  unfit  to  fulfil  the  duties  for  which 
he  signs  articles. 

A  crew  intended  for  the  usual  coast- 
wise cruising  and  racing,  taking  part  in 
all  the  events  of  the  season  for  which 
the  yacht  is  eligible,  should,  of  course, 
be  selected  with  care.  You  will  often 
see  the  same  crew  stick  to  a  yacht  for 
years.  They  are  paid  off  at  the  close  of 
the  season,  get  through  the  winter  as 
best  they  can,  some  ot  them  subsisting 
on  their  summer  savings,  others  ship- 
ping on  coasting  vessels  or  fishing  craft, 
or  even  finding  odd  jobs  to  do  ashore. 
When  the  yacht  goes  into  commission 
at  the  beginning  of  the  following  sum- 
mer, there  they  are  to  be  found  aboard 
of  her,  and  ready  for  anything  that  may 
turn  up.  Smart  and  steady  men  are 
always  in  demand,  and  when  they  leave 
the  yacht  in  the  fall  they  get  the  tip 
from  the  sailing-master  to  report  for 
duty  in  the  spring. 

The  prudent  yacht-owner,  when  pre- 
paring for  a  deep-water  voyage,  should 
ship  a  crew  as  small  as  possible  for  the 
proper  working  of  the  vessel.  Every 
device  for  the  economizing  of  labor 
should  be  adopted.  In  these  days,  when 
a  crew  of  six,  all  told,  sail  a  big  fore-and- 
aft  cargo  schooner,  a  large  ship's  com- 
pany is  not  absolutely  necessary  aboard 
a  yacht  of  moderate  size.  It  is  easier 


184  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

to  keep  a  small  crew  in  good  health 
than  a  large  one,  especially  when 
cruising  in  the  tropics.  The  necessarily 
limited  space  at  the  disposal  of  the 
"jackies,"  in  spite  of  all  the  mod- 
ern contrivances  for  their  convenience 
and  comfort,  causes  some  forecastles 
to  be  unhealthy.  Without  taking  into 
consideration  the  saving  of  money  in 
the  wages  of  men  not  absolutely  neces- 
sary for  the  handling  of  the  yacht,  the 
owner  is  likely  to  get  more  solid 'com- 
fort out  of  a  small,  contented  crew  of 
picked  men  than  he  would  out  of  a 
large,  injudiciously  selected  crowd  of 
sailors.  The  fewer  the  mouths  to  feed 
the  more  stores  and  water  for  each  can 
be  carried.  Personally,  I  would  rather 
have  twelve  good  men  to  work  a  large 
schooner,  than  a  score  of  indifferent  lub- 
bers and  skulkers  masquerading  under 
the  names  of  able  or  ordinary  seamen. 

These  may  seem  to  be  revolutionary 
notions  in  these  days  of  kid-gloved 
skippers  and  large  crews.  But  let  us  go 
back  half  a  century  or  so,  and  see  what 
the  custom  \vas  in  the  brave  old  days  of 
the  Yankee  schooner  America.  In  her 
historical  voyage  to  England  in  1851  she 
was  commanded  by  Captain  "  Dick " 
Brown,  with  Nelson  Com  stock  as  mate, 
and  only  six  men  before  the  mast. 
Messrs.  George  Steers,  James  Steers 
and  young  Henry  Steers  were  the  pas- 
sengers, and  these,  of  course,  lent  a 
hand  when  required.  But  there  were  no 
more  cats  aboard  than  could  catch  mice. 


Duty  and  Discipline  Afloat.     185 

The  Sappho,  a  much  larger  schooner, 
sailed  from  New  York  to  Falmouth  in 
July,  1868,  the  time  of  her  passage  be- 
ing fourteen  days.  She  was  in  charge 
of  Captain  T.  P.  Baldwin,  a  retired 
merchant  skipper,  two  mates,  and  six 
men  before  the  mast,  none  of  whom 
were  yacht  sailors.  Judging  from  the 
logs  of  these  two  representative  schoon- 
ers, no  difficulty  was  experienced  in 
handling  them,  and  both  made  excel- 
lent passages,  the  America  reaching 
Havre  in  seventeen  days  and  a  half,  in 
spite  of  the  retarding  circumstance  that 
she  carried  only  the  small  sails  of  the 
pilot  boat  Mary  Taylor,  a  wonderfully 
fast  schooner  built  by  Mr.  George 
Steers. 

Mr.  E.  F.  Knight,  the  English  yachts- 
man, has  some  very  sensible  things  to 
say  on  this  subject,  and,  as  he  speaks 
from  wide  experience,  my  readers  will 
be  interested  in  his  remarks.  He  says  : 

"  It  is  my  opinion  that  there  should 
not  be  a  single  yacht  sailor  on  board 
the  foreign-cruising  5o-tonner.  It  is 
difficult  to  get  the  right  ones,  and  it 
will  be  bad  for  the  owner  if  he  fall  in 
with  the  wrong  ones — men  who  have 
been  spoilt  by  foolish  employers,  for  in- 
stance ;  a  numerous  class,  I  fear.  We 
all  know  them.  Smart-looking  fellows 
enough,  maybe,  but  shirkers  of  honest 
work.  They  prefer  to  ship  on  show 
yachts  belonging  to  owners  who  like  to 
exhibit  themselves  and  their  vessels  in 
the  fashionable  yachting  ports  each  sea- 


i'86  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

son,  but  who  are  not  sailors  in  any  sense 
of  the  word,  and  have  no  real  love  of  the 
sport,  following  it  only  for  the  swagger 
of  the  thing.  Men  who  have  served 
such  owners  would  prove  a  great  nui- 
sance on  an  ocean  cruise,  and  would  not 
be  likely  to  go  far.  I  have  heard  such 
hands  grumbling  on  a  friend's  yacht 
because  they  had  to  pass  one  night  at  sea 
instead  of  in  some  port  where  they  hap- 
pened to  have  friends.  They  look  to 
frequent  tips  from  the  'governor's  '  vis- 
itors, and  to  other  less  legitimate  per- 
quisites. These  they  cannot  get  in 
mid- Atlantic,  so  it  is  not  the  place  for 
them. 

"  Hands  from  fishing-boats,  sailing 
barges  and  small  coasters,  are  the  best 
men  for  the  foreign  cruiser  of  small 
tonnage.  Among  these,  one  is  not  likely 
to  come  across  spoilt  and  pampered 
mariners,  and  they  are  accustomed  to 
roughing  it,  and  to  the  shifts  of  short- 
handed  craft.  But  were  I  undertaking 
a  lengthened!  tropical  voyage  I  think  I 
should  ship  my  English  crew  simply  for 
the  run  over  to  my  first  West  Indian  or 
South  American  port,  and  there  engage 
a  negro  crew.  These  blacks  are  excel- 
lent fore-and-aft  sailors,  easy  to  man- 
age, and  always  happy  and  ready  for  any 
amount  of  hard  work,  if  kindly  but 
firmly  treated  ;  while  they  are,  of  course, 
far  better  fitted  than  white  men  to  with- 
stand the  debilitating  influence  of  sul- 
try climates,  an  influence,  which,  as 
everyone  knows,  has  caused  the  ruin  of 


Duty  and  Discipline  Afloat,     187 

many  a  good  British  sailor,  driving 
hitherto  sober  men  to  injure  their  health 
by  excess  whenever  they  get  shore 
leave." 

Sir  Edward  Sullivan,  Bart.,  who  saw 
the  America  win  the  cup  that  bears  her 
name,  over  the  Cowes  course  in  1851, 
and  has  been  a  devotee  of  the  sport 
ever  since,  says  :  "  Yacht  sailors,  as  a 
rule,  are  sober,  honest,  obliging,  good- 
tempered,  original.  During  the  many 
years  I  have  yachted  I  have  had  crews 
from  north,  east,  west,  and  south,  and  I 
have  almost  without  exception  found 
them  the  same.  A  man  must  be  hard 
to  please,  indeed,  if  after  a  three  or  four 
months'  cruise,  he  dees  not  part  from 
his  crew  with  regret,and  with  a  genuine 
wish  that  they  may  meet  again.  Amongst 
yachting  skippers  I  have  come  across 
some  of  the  most  honorable,  trust- 
worthy, honest  men  I  have  met  in  any 
class  of  life,  men  who  knew  their  duty 
and  were  always  willing  and  anxious  to 
do  it.  The  chief  peculiarity  of  all  the 
seafaring  class  that  I  have  been  brought 
into  contact  \\ith,  is  their  entire  free- 
dom from  vulgarity.  They  are  obliging 
to  the  utmost  of  their  power,  but  never 
cringing  or  vulgar. 

"The  winter  half  of  their  lives  is 
spent  in  fishing-boats  or  coasters,  or 
sea  voyages,  where  they  have  to  face 
dangers  and  hardships  that  must  be  ex- 
perienced to  be  realized.  As  a  rule  they 
are  religious,  and  their  preparations 
for  the  Sabbath,  their  washings  and 


1 88  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

soapings  and  brushings,  show  with  what 
pleasure  they  welcome  its  recurrence. 
Yacht  minstrelsy,  with  its  accordion,  its 
songs  of  twenty  verses,  its  never-ending 
choruses,  its  pathos,  is  a  thing  of  itself. 
Some  day,  perhaps,  some  Albert  Cheva- 
lier will  make  it  fashionable.  Such  as 
they  are,  I  know  of  no  class  of  English- 
men superior,  if  any  be  equal,  to  the 
sailors  who  man  our  yachts.  Of  course, 
there  are  sharks,  or  at  any  rate  dogfish, 
in  all  waters,  but  where  the  good  so  im- 
mensely outnumber  the  bad,  that  man 
must  be  a  fool  indeed  who  gets  into 
wrong  hands." 

With  these  sentiments  I  most  cordi- 
ally concur. 

'  The  yacht  owner  will  engage  his  cook 
and  his  steward  to  suit  himself.  Some 
seagoing  chefs  of  steam  yachts  get 
bigger  pay  than  a  commodore  in  the 
navy,  while  many  stewards  have  grown 
wealthy  out  of  their  perquisites.  With 
these  men  I  have  nothing  to  do.  They 
belong  to  the  owner  exclusively,  so  let 
him  deal  with  them  as  he  may  see  fit. 
The  ship's  cook,  however,  is  a  most  im- 
portant functionary,  and  every  canny 
skipper  tries  to  ship  a  thorough  "tip- 
topper,"  who  will  feed  the  boys  "high," 
while  at  the  same  time  taking  care  of 
the  owner's  interests  by  guarding  against 
waste.  A  cook  of  genius  will  on  a  pinch 
"  create  "  a  savory  dinner  for  all  hands 
out  of  what  may  appear  a  most  unprom- 
ising batch  of  materials,  and  I  am  glad 
to  say  that  cooks  of  genius  are  by  no 


Duty  and  Discipline  Afloat.     189 

means  scarce.  The  Japs  make  excel- 
lent cooks,  and  so  do  the  Portuguese. 
Hungry  sailors  go  in  for  hearty  fare. 
Beef  and  beans,  pork  and  peas,  clam 
chowder,  roast  joints,  and  plenty  of 
fresh  vegetables  are  their  principal 
dishes,  but  they  by  no  means  despise 
the  ice  cream  and  the  cabin  delicacies 
which  fall  to  their  lot  on  cruises  when 
there  is  a  heavy  sea,  and  landsmen  feel 
more  like  throwing  up  their  commis- 
sions than  taking  in  ballast. 

"The  internal  economy  of  a  yacht," 
says  Sir  Edward  Sullivan,  "constitutes 
oneof  itsgreatest charms.  Yourcookwith 
only  a  little  stove  for  which  a  shore  cook 
would  scarcely  find  any  use  will  send 
you  up  an  excellent  dinner  cooked  to 
perfection  for  any  number  of  guests. 
And  the  steward  !  who  can  describe  the 
work  of  a  yacht's  steward  ?  I  doubt 
whetherBriareus  with  his  hundred  h.ancls 
could  do  more  than  a  steward  does  with 
two.  At  seven  in  the  morning  he  is 
ashore  for  the  milk,  and  the  breakfast, 
and  the  letters,  and  the  flowers  ;  he  val- 
ets half-a-dozen  people,  prepares  half-a- 
dozen  baths,  brushes  heaven  knows  how 
many  clothes,  gets  the  breakfast,  makes 
the  beds, cleans  theplate, tidies  the  cabin, 
provides  luncheon,  five  o'clock  tea,  din- 
ner, is  always  cheerful,  obliging,  pains- 
taking, and  more  than  repaid  if  occasion- 
ally he  gets  a  petit  -mot  of  compliment  or 
congratulation.  When  he  ever  sleeps  or 
eats  I  never  can  tell  ;  and  far  from 
grumbling  at  his  work  he  often  resents 


196  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

the  assistance  of  any  shore-going  serv- 
ant." 

I  have  quoted  the  above  at  length  be- 
cause it  is  in  my  judgment  the  best  de- 
scription of  a  good  cook  and  a  good 
steward  ever  written.  What  yachtsman 
cannot  testify  to  the  truth  of  every 
word ?  I  have  sailed  with  a  bad  cook 
and  an  utterly  worthless  and  incompe- 
tent steward,  and  my  imperfect  knowl- 
edge of  the  English  language  does  not 
permit  of  my  adequately  describing  the 
inevitable  horrors  and  discomforts  at- 
tending the  martyrdom  of  my  ship- 
mates and  myself.  Therefore  let  us 
draw  the  curtain  down  on  the  unsavory 
subject.  But  nevertheless  let  us  resolve 
in  the  interest  of  our  brother  yachtsmen 
never  to  give  a  misleading  recommenda- 
tion or  certificate  of  character  to  either 
a  bad  cook  or  a  worthless  steward.  If 
the  first-named  is  a  "  grub-spoiler " 
masquerading  under  the  guise  of  a  chef, 
and  the  other  is  a  sham  and  a  fraud, 
hesitate  not  to  brand  them  correctly 
and  thus  prevent  them  from  imposing 
on  others.  Have  backbone  ! 

In  England  there  isa  regular  schedule 
of  racing  wages — a  system  which  has 
not  been  adopted  as  yet  in  this  country. 
The  skipper  gets  five  per  cent,  or  ten  per 
cent,  of  the  value  of  the  prize  won,  while 
every  member  of  the  crew  is  given  $5 
if  you  win  and  $2.50  if  you  lose.  In 
addition  to  this  expense,  bounteous  sup- 
plies of  beef,  soft  tack  and  beer  are  gen- 
erously dispensed  on  race  days,  while 


Duty  and  Discipline  Afloat.     191 

on     other    occasions   the   crew    supply 
their  own  rations. 

The  life  of  a  yacht  sailor  is  by  no 
means  hard.  From  twenty  to  thirty 
dollars  a  month  and  good  grub  should  be 
attractive  to  the  foreigners  who,  for  the 
most  part,  man  our  pleasure  fleet,  and 
who  would  earn  considerably  less  than 
half  that  sum  in  the  vessels  of  their 
native  mercantile  navy.  There  are  so 
many  smart  and  deserving  men  in  the 
market,  that  a  yacht  owner  has  no  diffi- 
culty whatever  in  engaging  a  satisfac- 
tory ship's  company. 


VI. 
A  DOWN-TO-DATE  YACHT  RACE, 

IN      WHICH     MAY      KK      FOUND      SOME     NOTEWORTHY 
EXAMI'LES    OK    THE    SEA-JOCKEY'S    ART. 

SAILING  as  a  visitor  on  a  racing 
yacht  is  delightfully  exciting-.    Let 
me  transcribe  from  my  log-book 
the  yarn  of  the  contest  between  the 
Ghost  and  the  Phantom,  two  modern  51- 
footers.   Stowed  away  between  the  lines 
may  be  found  a  wrinkle  or  two  of  value 
to  the  novice.     So  here  goes  : 

The  bell  on  the  PJiantoni  was  striking 
eight  as  the  gig  rounded  her  graceful 
stern  and  brought  up  at  the  starboard 
gangway.  The  cutter  had  been  com- 
pletely "skinned  "  for  the  fray, as  she  was 
to  compete  for  a  valuable  prize  offered 
by  the  club.  Everything  had  been  taken 
ashore  that  the  racing  rules  permitted, 
including  books,  cabin  fittings,  the  cook- 
ing stove,  deck  scrubbers,  buckets  and 
brooms,  mops,  and  other  impedimenta 
comprised  in  the  equipment  of  a  prop- 
erly fitted  yacht.  The  cabin  was  bare 
— "cleared  for  action,"  as  the  owner  ob- 
served. 

"  All  you  will  get  to  eat  to-day  won't 
trouble  your  digestive  organs,"  he  con- 


ip4  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

tinued.  "The  steward  has  made  a  box 
of  corned  beef  sandwiches,  and  that  will 
be  our  plain  and  simple  fare,  with  a 
toothful  of  grog  to  wash  the  grub  down, 
and  a  pipe  to  settle  everything.  To- 
day all  hands  fare  alike,  forward  and 
aft,  for  we  shall  have  no  time  to  waste 
in  devouring  luxurious  kickshaws.  We 
must  win  that  cup." 

From  the  critical  view  of  an  expert 
yachtsman, everything  was  in  ship  shape 
tashion  for  the  race.  There  wasn't  an 
ounce  of  superfluous  weight  aboard. 
The  very  crew  seemed  to  be  character- 
istic of  the  vital  elements  of  the  vessel, 
namely,  strength  and  lightness.  Their 
muscular  agility  was  displayed  to  ad- 
vantage a  few  moments  later,  when, 
manning  the  throat  and  peak  halyards, 
they  spread  the  superb  mainsail  to  woo 
the  wind,  which,  at  this  time,  wasn't 
particularly  strong.  I  noticed  that  the 
skipper  did  not  "sweat  up"  the  hal- 
yards too  taut,  but  prudently  reserved 
that  process  for  a  few  minutes  before 
weighing  anchor,  allowing  the  soft, 
warm  breeze  to  expend  its  influence  on 
the  sail  and  stretch  it  evenly  and  gently 
before  the  final  pull  was  given. 

The  skipper  sent  the  mate  aloft  to 
pass  a  preventer  lashing  round  the  gaff 
and  masthead,  so  as  to  be  prepared  for 
the  unfortunate  contingency  of  the  part- 
ing of  the  throat  halyards.  This  is  a 
precaution  seldom  taken,  but  Captain 
Marlin's  custom  is  to  take  no  risks,  and 
to  be  ready  for  every  possible  mishap. 


A  Down-to-date  Yacht  Race.     195 

Judging  from  the  appearance  of  the  sky 
at  that  time,  it  did  not  seem  probable 
that  the  halyards  were  to  be  subjected 
to  any  heavy  strain  ;  but  the  weather 
cannot  be  relied  upon,  and  the  carrying 
away  of  the  throat  halyards  has  lost 
many  a  race  which  a  preventer  might 
have  saved. 

The  club-topsail  was  handled  next,  in 
seamanlike  style.  It  is  a  difficult  sail 
to  set  properly  at  any  time,  and,  when 
spread  or  dowsed  in  a  fine  sailing 
breeze,  has  made  many  a  lubber  use 
strong  language.  This  particular  piece 
of  duck  was  mast-headed  cleverlv  and 
silently,  as  is  always  the  case  in  a  yacht 
commanded  by  an  able  skipper  and 
manned  by  a  competent  crew. 

Speculations  are  indulged  in  as  to  the 
outlook.  Yachts  about  to  compete  in 
other  classes  are  criticised,  and  many 
sage  observations,  made  by  the  sailors 
concerning  wind  and  weather,  find  their 
way  aft  to  the  quarter-deck,  where  the 
owner  and  his  amateur  tars  are  smoking 
their  pipes  and  discussing  and  prognos- 
ticating the  coming  events  of  the  day. 
The  parting  drag  is  given  to  the  hal- 
yards, the  head-sails  are  made  ready, 
and  the  anchor  is  hove  short. 

It  is  half  an  hour  before  the  time  an- 
nounced for  the  start,  and  we  know  that 
the  Chairman  of  the  Race  Committee  is 
no  trifler  and  that  the  preparatory  gun 
will  be  fired  sharp  at  the  hour  ap- 
pointed. The  outlook  is  promising.  A 
fine  sou'wester  blows,  ruffling  the  blue 


196  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

waters  of  the  bay  and  making  the  small 
craft  dance  to  the  merry  music  of  wind 
and  wave.  There  is  a  goodly  fleet  at 
anchor  and  a  large  throng  of  visitors 
is  seen  on  the  veranda  of  the  club-house, 
on  the  green  lawn  that  almost  kisses 
the  water's  edge,  and  on  the  float,  which 
is  nearly  surrounded  by  steam  and 
naphtha  launches,  gigs,  dinghies  and 
other  tenders.  From  a  look  aloft  at  the 
fleecy  clouds  and  straggling  mares'  tails 
that  sail  along  in  the  cerulean  sky,  the 
breeze  shows  every  sign  of  freshening  as 
the  day  grows  older  ;  and  the  inevitable 
weather  prophets,  one  or  two  of  whom 
can  be  found  in  every  yacht's  crew, 
talk  sagely  of  single  reefs  and  coming 
squalls. 

Our  yacht  is  a  down-to-date  51 -footer, 
fitted  with  all  modern  appliances  for 
the  winning  of  cups,  including  a  fin 
keel  that  would  scrape  the  bottom  at 
a  depth  of  more  than  ten  feet,  and 
frightens  many  a  flounder  from  his  feed- 
ing grounds.  Witch-like  she  looks,  as 
she  tugs  at  her  anchor  eager  to  be  off. 
Everything  alow  and  aloft  is  taut  and 
trim.  Her  standing  rigging  is  set  up 
as  tight  as  bars  of  steel.  Not  a  wrinkle 
shows  in  her  well-cut  mainsail,  set  just 
as  it  ought  to  be,  with  no  abnormal 
strains  visible  in  throat,  peak  or  after 
leech,  and  not  a  symptom  of  bagginess 
in  the  whole  symmetry  of  the  sail. 
Above  this  the  huge  club-topsail  is 
spread,  stretching  ambitiously  skyward, 
and  this,  too,  is  a  choice  example  of  the 


A  Down-to  date  Yacht  Race.    197 

sailmaker's  skill.  The  head- sails  are 
ready  for  hoisting.  The  big  jib-topsail 
is  set  in  stops  ready  for  breaking  out  as 
we  cross  the  line,  for  the  first  leg  of  the 
triangular  course  is  a  reach  with  the 
wind  abeam,  and  we  shall  have  to  carry 
on  sail  like  a  China  clipper  to  get  to  the 
first  mark  before  our  antagonist,  the 
Ghost,  whose  best  sailing  point  is  reach- 
ing or  running. 

Our  boat,  the  Phantom,  though  built 
from  the  same  design  as  the  Ghost  and 
carrying  the  same  amount  of  sail,  is  the 
better  at  beating  to  windward.  Once 
get  her  sheets  trimmed  in  close-hauled 
to  a  breeze,  and  she  will  look  up  as  high 
as  any  yacht  afloat,  and,  what  is  more, 
you  can  rely  on  the  saucy  jade  to  fetch 
and  weather  any  mark  she  points  for. 

The  Ghost,  though  phenomenally  fast 
with  the  wind  free,  is  not  quite  so  good 
at  windward  work  as  we  are,  judging 
from  her  behavior  in  four  former  races, 
when  we  have  given  her  a  good  dusting 
with  the  breeze  dead  in  her  teeth.  But 
once  get  the  Ghost  a-going  \vith  the 
wind  anywhere  from  abeam  to  right  aft, 
and  the  way  she  slides  through  the  sea 
is  exasperating  to  her  opponents  on  the 
Phantom,  who  have  often  had  to  con- 
template with  annoyed  admiration  the 
shapely  contour  of  the  beauty's  counter. 

Who  can  satisfactorily  account  for  the 
difference  in  the  speed  of  the  two  boats  ? 
They  are  like  shoes  made  from  the  same 
last,  of  the  same  material  and  finish. 
Why  is  it  that  one  boat  beats  to  wind- 


198  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

ward  better  than  the  other,  and  that  the 
other  reaches  and  runs  faster  than  her 
rival  ?  Nobody  has  yet  offered  a  satis- 
factory explanation  of  this  peculiar 
state  of  affairs,  which  yachtsmen  know 
to  exist  in  all  classes  of  one  design. 

But  here  we  are,  aboard  the  Phan- 
tom thirty  minutes  before  gunfire.  Our 
sportsmanlike  owner  and  our  seaman- 
like  skipper  are  well  qualified  for  the 
coming  strife.  They  know  the  course 
like  their  A,  B,  C.  They  are  acquainted 
with  every  tide-rip  and  current  likely  to 
be  encountered.  The  sailing  directions 
are  explicit.  The  crew,  amateur  and 
professional,  are  old  hands  at  the  busi- 
ness, and  if  the  Phantom  doesn't  win  the 
cup  and  the  -side  bet  from  the  Ghost, 
why,  all  hands  will  be  down  in  the 
dumps  at  the  end  of  the  race. 

But  there  is  no  mention  of  that  das- 
tard word,  defeat.  Owner  and  captain 
and  crew  have  an  abiding  confidence  in 
the  yacht  and  in  each  other,  and  all 
hands  are  imbued  with  enthusiasm  and 
zeal.  This  is  apparent  in  every  ani- 
mated glance,  in  each  cheery  "Aye,  aye, 
sir,"  in  response  to  orders,  and  in  every 
active  movement  of  body  and  limb. 

All  hands  have  been  through  the 
mill  before  and  are  accustomed  to  pull 
together.  The  skipper  knows  the  "  hang" 
of  the  boat  ;  he  fully  understands  how 
to  trim  sail  to  the  best  advantage — just 
how  much  sheet  to  give  to  induce  the 
highest  rate  of  speed.  The  boat  herself 
is  balanced  like  a  druggist's  scales,  and 


A  Down-to-date  Yacht  Race.    199 

is  responsive  as  a  sentient  being  to  the 
slightest  touch  of  the  helm.  The  gear 
is  of  the  best. 


"  GHOST." 


"  Now,  Captain  Marlin,"  says  the 
owner,  "  we'll  get  up  the  anchor  and  take 
a  short  trial  rpin  across  the  bay,  just 
to  limber  things  before  starting." 


200  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

"  Break  the  anchor  out,  boys,"  says 
the  skipper,  "and  stand  by  to  hoist  the 
headsails." 

In  a  few  minutes  the  anchor  is  on 
deck  and  the  foresail  and  jib  are  hoisted 
to  the  fast-increasing  breeze.  Away  we 
go  on  the  starboard  tack,  heeling  over 
till  the  water  boils  up  in  the  lee  scup- 
pers and  an  occasional  spray  comes  in- 
board on  the  weather  bow. 

As  we  pass  through  the  fleet  at  an- 
chor many  admiring  eyes  examine  us 
critically  from  quarter-deck  and  bridge  ; 
and  many  binoculars  are  leveled  in  our 
direction  as  we  swiftly  glide  toward  the 
open  bay,  where  we  shall  feel  the  true 
force  of  the  breeze  and  see  whether  the 
club-topsail  will  be  too  much  for  her 
with  sheets  flattened  in. 

Captain  Marlin  is  at  the  helm,  with 
the  owner  beside  him.  Both  view  the 
sails  with  expert  glances,  quick  to  dis- 
cover imperfections  in  fit  or  trim.  The 
mainsail  retains  its  shape  admirably, 
because  it  has  been  beautifully  stretched 
by  a  sailor  and  not  "  monkeyed  with  " 
by  a  countryman  from  an  inland  vil- 
lage. The  jib  is  pulling  magnificently, 
and  the  foresail  is  attending  strictly  to 
business. 

As  soon  as  we  reach  the  bay,  away 
from  the  shelter  of  the  protecting  head- 
land, we  get  the  full  strength  of  the 
wind,  which,  indeed,  pipes  high.  A 
squall  strikes  us,  and  we  careen  under 
its  influence  till  the  lee  rail — a  mere 
batten — is  almost  awash.  The  skipper 


A   STEKN    CHASE. 


A  Down-to-date  Yacht  Race.    203 

luffs  a  little  until  the  fore  leech  of  the 
mainsail  quivers,  but  this  seems  to  dead- 
en the  Phantonis  way  very  little.  She 
is  off,  with  a  gleaming  white  bone  in 
her  teeth  and  showing  a  great  burst  of 
speed. 

"  Ready  about !  " 

"  Helm's  a-lee." 

The  boat  swings  into  the  wind  like  a 
top,  and  before  you  can  say  Jack  Robin- 
son she  is  filled  and  away  on  the  other 
tack.  But  only  a  yachtsman  can  ap- 
preciate the  smart  handling  of  the  craft. 
The  setting  up  of  the  topmast-back- 
stay while  the  vessel  is  in  stays  is  work 
for  men  who  are  actually  alive  and 
haven't  a  lazy  bone  in  their  bodies.  The 
same  remark  applies  to  trimming  the 
head-sheets.  Of  course  there  are  "  be- 
laying marks  "  showing  where  they  are 
to  be  made  fast,  but  smartness  must 
prevail  first,  last,  and  all  the  time  in 
these  days  of  rapid-spinning  boats. 

And  so  back  we  fly  through  the 
squadron,  most  of  them  now  under 
way.  We  luff  up  in  the  wind's  eye  for 
a  minute  or  so  and  get  another  pull  on 
the  jib  halyards,  sweating  them  up  quite 
hard.  We  see  the  jib-topsail  clear  for 
breaking  out  from  the  stops  ;  and  while 
we  dodge  about  with  head-sheets  hauled 
to  windward,  waiting  for  the  preparatory 
gun,  we  see  the  Ghost  making  for  us  and 
realize  that  if  we  are  to  secure  the  ad- 
vantage of  the  windward  berth  and 
first  away  we  must  keep  our  weather 
eyes  skinned. 


204  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

And  mighty  pretty  our  sleek-looking 
rival  appears,  with  the  sun  shining  on 
her  creamy  sails  just  new  from  the  loft, 
but  bearing  the  impress  of  artistic  de- 
sign and  splendid  fit.  The  only  dif- 
ference between  Ghost  and  Phantom  is 
that  the  first-named  is  painted  black, 
while  Phantom  is  resplendent  in  a  snow- 
white  garb.  Captain  Spike,  the  Ghost's 
skipper,  a  bronzed,  bearded  man  of 
massive  build,  is  steering,  and  as  he 
passes  under  our  stern  we  wave  our 
hands  or  doff  our  caps  in  courteous 
salute.  For  although  both  ships  are 
manned  by  sturdy  fighters,  yet  we 
heartily  respect  each  other,  as  gallant 
and  honorable  foes  are  wont  to  do  in  the 
domain  of  yachtdom. 

"  Bang  !  "  goes  the  preparatory  gun, 
which  conveys  the  information  that  our 
class  will  start  in  five  minutes.  Our 
owner  had  timed  his  watch  by  the 
chronometer  on  the  club  boat  early  that 
morning,  and  both  timepieces  agree  to 
a  fraction  of  a  second.  It  is  to  be  a  fly- 
ing start,  and  the  two  rival  skippers, 
Spike  and  Marlin,  are  equally  famous 
foi  getting  away  with  the  gun,  and 
both  are  past  masters  in  the  art  of  sea- 
jockeying  for  a  commanding  position 
on  the  line.  It  is  most  interesting  to 
watch  the  manoeuvres  of  the  two  cap- 
tains. The  yachts  circle  round  and 
round  each  other  like  two  kittens  at 
play,  while  the  owners,  with  watches  in 
hand,  call  out  the  time 

"  One  minute  gone  '   says  our  owner. 


A  Down-to-date  Yacht  Race.    205 

"  One  minute  gone,'  repeats  the  alert 
skipper  ;  "  hard-a-lee  !  "  About  she  goes 
once  more.  "  Two  minutes  gone,"  is 
soon  heard,  followed  by  another  tack. 
"  Three  gone !  "  Then  an  anxious 
pause.  "  Four  gone  !  "  says  our  owner. 
We  are  at  this  time  some  considerable 
distance  from  the  line,  but  fast  ap- 
proaching it,  although  our  foresail-sheet 
is  hauled  to  windward.  To  leeward, 
and  a  dozen  lengths  astern,  is  the  Ghost. 

"  Four  minutes  fifty  seconds,"  says 
our  owner. 

"  Let  draw  the  foresail  ;  break  out 
the  jib-topsail,"  are  the  skipper's  next 
commands,  and  for  the  ten  seconds  that 
follow  we  are  all  on  tenterhooks.  If 
we  cross  the  imaginary  line  between 
the  committee's  steamer  and  the  mark- 
boat  before  the  signal  is  given  we  shall 
have  to  go  back  and  cross  the  line  again. 
It  is  indeed  an  anxious  moment. 

"Fifty -five  seconds,  fifty-six,  fifty- 
seven — 

"  Will  they  never  fire  ? "  think  I. 

"Fifty-eight,  fifty-nine " 

"  The  gun  !  " 

"  Hurrah,  hurrah  !  you  gauged  her 
beautifully,"  says  the  owner  to  the  skip- 
per, on  whose  mahoganized  mug  there 
grows  a  gratified  grin. 

"  Ghost  is  ten  seconds  after  the  gun," 
observed  the  owner,  "but  I  guess  she'll 
pick  that  up  and  more  too,  on  this  leg, 
alone." 

The  Phantom  is  now  hissing  along 
with  the  wind  on  the  port  beam,  the 


206  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

main-boom  well  eased  off,  the  jib-topsail 
doing  gigantic  work,  and  the  other  sails 
contributing  their  share  toward  impel- 
ling the  fairylike  fabric  onward  to  the 
next  goal,  six  nautical  miles  away.  Not 
a  quiver  or  a  wrinkle  in  all  the  vast  ex- 
panse of  muslin  extended  to  the  breeze. 
The  yacht's  sharp  cutwater  cleaves  the 
blue  sea,  making  little  or  no  disturbance, 
but  the  fleecy  foam  travels  aft  with  the 
speed  of  a  mill-race  and  leaves  a  glitter- 
ing wake  astern.  All  the  crew  have 
come  abaft  the  mast,  and  are  lip  to  wind- 
ward as  far  as  they  can  get.  The  yacht 
heels  over  in  the  puffs  at  times  until  the 
lee  rail  is  under,  and  the  water  occasion- 
ally threatens  to  bubble  up  to  the  sky- 
lights, but  never  gets  there.  It  is  indeed 
glorious  racing.  Nobody  has  the  slight- 
est idea  of  shortening  canvas.  What  she 
can't  carry  she  must  drag. 

The  skipper  keeps  his  eyes  on  the 
sails  and  on  the  compass.  He  never 
dreams  of  looking  astern  to  see  how 
his  friend  Captain  Spike,  of  the  Ghost, 
is  coming  along.  No  yacht-racing  skip- 
per ever  does  look  astern  while  he  is 
steering.  It  would  be  a  breach  of  an 
old  tradition  unpardonable  in  a  profes- 
sional. Our  owner,  however,  watches 
our  opponent  quite  carefully,  and  con- 
fides to  me  in  a  whisper  that  he  fears 
she  will  overhaul  us  and  pass  us  to  wind- 
ward before  we  reach  the  mark  at  the 
end  of  the  first  leg.  "  It  is  in  the  beat 
back  from  the  second  mark  that  we  shall 
have  him  at  our  mercy.  We  are  con- 


A  Down  to-date  YacJit  Race.    207 

siderably  faster  to  windward  in  a  blow 
like  this,  and  if  it  pipes  any  harder  he 
will  have  to  take  in  his  club-topsail,  and 
then  he  is  our  meat,  sure,"  he  added. 

But  there  is  no  sign  of  shortening 
canvas  on  the  Ghost.  Captain  Spike 
will  hang  on  to  the  great  sail  until  the 
topmast  goes  over  the  side  rather  than 
be  beaten  at  "  cracking  on  "  by  Captain 
Marlin.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  Ghost 
stands  up  to  her  work  very  well  indeed, 
heeling  over  to  the  pressure  of  the  puis- 
sant breeze  only  a  mere  trifle  more 
than  Phantom. 

Other  boats  are  competing  in  the  re- 
gatta— a  number  of  crack  schooners  and 
some  of  the  new-fangled  knockabouts — 
all  of  which  carry  single  reefs  in  their 
mainsails  and  small  jibs.  It  is  evident, 
too,  that  even  with  this  moderate  sail 
they  have  as  much  as  they  can  stagger 
under.  We,  however,  have  too  much  to 
do  in  the  way  of  paying  attention  to  our 
own  craft  and  our  immediate  opponent 
to  particularly  regard  the  doings  of  the 
rest  of  the  fleet. 

One  thing  that  strikes  me  exceedingly 
is  the  splendid  way  that  Phantom  steers. 
One  of  the  old-time  racing  boats  would 
have  been  yawing  about  in  rampant 
style  in  a  breeze  as  potent  as  is  now 
blowing.  The  helmsman  would  have 
all  he  could  do  to  keep  her  on  her  course, 
the  prevailing  tendency  of  the  ancient 
type  being  to  gripe  to  windward  most 
damnably.  Yacht  architects  have  made 
great  progress  since  then,  and  the  modern 


208  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

craft  are  balanced  so  exquisitely  that  they 
show  little  or  no  proneness  to  gripe,  even 
with  the  wind  abeam  or  on  the  quarter. 
Phantom  carries  her  rudder  nearly  amid- 
ships, only  taking  a  spoke  or  two  of 
weather  helm..  Captain  Marlin  steers 
her  with  one  hand,  and  keeps  as  cool  as 
a  cucumber. 

Meanwhile  Ghost  crawls  up  on  us,  inch 
by  inch  and  foot  by  foot,  her  aim  being 
to  pass  us  to  windward  and  'to  blanket 
us.  This  we  will  never  permit  without 
a  hard  fight. 

We  are  now  half  way  to  the  first  mark, 
the  wind  continuing  true  and  strong — an 
ideal  breeze  for  racing.  The  sea  is  not 
steep  enough  as  yet  to  do  us  any  harm 
when  we  trim  in  our  sheets  for  the  final 
beat ;  but  before  this  shall  come  to  pass 
we  have  a  leg  to  sail  with  the  wind  dead 
aft,  and  even  now  the  men  are  making 
sure  that  the  spinnaker  gear  is  all  in 
readiness  for  setting  that  enormous  sail 
immediately  after  rounding  the  first 
mark.  We  are  going  to  do  our  prettiest 
to  get  the  better  of  Ghost  at  the  turn, 
and  the  yacht  that  gets  the  spinnaker 
boom  down  first  and  the  sail  broken  out 
most  quickly  has  a  big  advantage. 

I  can't  help  remembering  how  a  mis- 
hap to  her  spinnaker  caused  Valkyrie  II. 
to  lose  her  last  race  with  Vigilant,  and  I 
express  a  silent  but  fervent  hope  that 
nothing  untoward  may  occur  to  stop  the 
smart  setting  of  our  own  good  sail. 

But  now  the  sly  and  swift  Ghost  is 
crawling  up,  pointing  her  bowsprit  for 


A  Down-to-date  Yacht  Race.    209 

our  weather  quarter,  with  the  intent,  if 
possible,  of  establishing  an  overlap  and 
a  consequent  blanket.  This  leads  to  a 
luffing  match  which  is  mighty  interest- 
ing while  it  lasts.  The  more  we  luff  the 
faster  we  fly,  and  at  last  we  get  so  far 
ahead  that  we  are  able  to  bear  away  on 
our  course  again  and  still  maintain  the 
lead. 

Now,  what  do  you  think  is  the  next 
artful  move  of  the  skipper  of  the  Ghost  f 
That  fellow  is  as  cunning  as  a  wagon- 
load  of  monkeys.  Seeing  that  he  cannot 
pass  us  to  windward,  he  eases  his  sheets 
a  little,  and,  with  a  great  spurt  of  speed 
which  fairly  took  our  breath  away,  walks 
through  our  lee  like  lubricated  light- 
ning and  tries  to  luff  up  across  our  bows 
and  so  get  the  weather  gauge. 

But  it  isn't  Captain  Merlin's  watch 
below  exactly.  That  ancient  and  tarry 
one  has  his  eyes  wide  open  and  his  wits 
all  about  him.  He  also  luffs  in  time  to 
establish  an  overlap,  and  so  he  balks 
the  blanketing  dodge  of  Captain  Spike, 
who  is  thus  hoist  with  his  own  petard. 
This  skirmish  shows  the  advantage  of 
getting  the  lead  at  the  start.  Had  Ghost 
crossed  the  line  first  we  could  never 
have  caught  her,  but  as  it  is  we  are  able 
to  prevent  her  from  passing  us.  And 
to  the  undying  fame  of  our  sterling  skip- 
per, by  the  exercise  of  all  the  devices 
known  to  the  sea-jockey,  we  actually 
round  the  mark  first ! 

As  we  whirl  round  the  raft  from  whose 
flagstaff  the  club  burgee  is  noisily  flap- 


210  VacJiting  Wrinkles. 

ping,  the  main-boom  is  eased  off  hand- 
somely by  the  owner  and  myself,  while 
the  rest  of  the  boys  busy  themselves 
with  the  spinnaker.  As  the  boom  is 
lowered,  the  sail  neatly  done  up  in  stops 
is  smartly  hoisted  to  the  topmast  head. 
The  after  guy  is  hauled  aft,  the  outhaul 
is  manned,  and  with  three  tugs  on  the 
sheet  the  big  sail  bellies  to  the  blast 
and  pulls  nobly. 

Now  a  more  powerful  puff  than  ever 
smites  the  Phantom.  Its  force  makes 
the  spinnaker  boom  up-end  and  the 
spinnaker  itself  puff  out  like  a  balloon. 
But  both  spar  and  duck  are  of  the  best 
and  no  misfortune  befalls  them.  The 
balloon  jib-topsail  now  takes  the  place 
of  No.  2,  so  that  if  the  wind  shifts  we 
shall  be  ready  for  it.  When  this  is  done 
all  hands  lie  aft  so  as  to  lift  her  bow  as 
much  as  possible,  while  not  burying 
her  counter,  and,  standing  up  so  as 
to  catch  every  breath  of  wind  that  is 
going  to  waste,  are  regaled  on  beer 
and  sandwiches,  which  the  steward 
passes  round.  He,  like  the  willing  and 
zealous  fellow  that  he  is,  has  been  pull- 
ing and  hauling  with  the  rest  of  the 
crowd,  and  is  puffing  like  a  porpoise 
after  the  unusual  exertion. 

In  planning  the  day's  campaign  it  has 
been  settled  that  we  shall  steer  a  direct 
course  from  the  first  to  the  second 
mark.  We  know  that  we  have  no 
chance  to  run  before  the  wind  so  fast 
as  the  Ghost,  which  is  now  only  twenty 
seconds  astern  of  us,  and  is  bound  to 


A  Down-to-date  Yacht  Race.    211 

pass  us  in  spite  of  everything.  Thus, 
we  waste  no  time  in  jockeying. 

And  glide  past  us  she  does,  silently 
and  slowly  like  the  ghost  that  she  is, 
her  spinnaker  and  main  booms  forming 
the  base  of  a  lofty  pyramid  of  canvas, 
arched  out  to  the  swelling  breeze.  The 
lapping  waves  break  in  milky  foam 
under  her  counter,  the  spray  sparkling 
like  diamonds  in  the  golden  sunshine. 
Her  crew  look  proud  and  exultant  at 
their  victory. 

But  the  demon  of  despair  affects  us 
not.  We  know  what  our  stanch  and 
noble  craft  will  do  when  we  haul  on  a 
wind  for  the  final  homeward  thresh. 
So  we  light  our  pipes,  and  grin  and  bear 
our  temporary  defeat  like  the  stoics  of 
old.  Meanwhile,  we  recollect  that  we 
shall  have  to  gybe  round  the  next  mark 
and  realize  that  this  will  be  quite  a 
ticklish  job  in  so  stiff  a  breeze.  ,  To  luff 
round  a  stakeboat  is  easy  as  eating,  but 
to  swing  over  a  main -boom  as  long  as 
ours  from  one  quarter  to  the  other  with 
the  huge  club-topsail  aloft  requires  cool- 
ness, skill  and  judgment.  Besides,  we 
want  to  make  as  clever  and  close  a  turn 
as  possible,  so  as  not  to  be  swept  too  far 
to  leeward  before  flattening  in  sheets 
and  starting  on  our  long  windward  beat. 

All  has  been  provided  for,  however. 
We  see  all  hands  on  the  Ghost  taking  in 
the  balloon  jib-topsail  and  getting  ready 
to  dowse  the  spinnaker,  for  now  the 
stakeboat  looms  mighty  near  and  the 
great  struggle  of  the  day  is  at  hand. 


2i2  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

"Take  in  the  jib-topsail  !  "  cries  our 
skipper,  and  this  is  an  easy  task,  for  the 
enormous  sail  is  almost  becalmed.  It 
is  soon  spilled,  stopped  up  and  bundled 
below.  Foresail  and  jib  are  neatly  set 
and  their  sheets  trimmed  down  to  the 
marks. 

"  See  the  spinnaker  gear  clear  for 
taking  in,"  is  the  next  command.  And 
this  being  done,  there  is  silence  for 
the  next  minute  or  two.  All  hands 
gather  round  the  mast.  One  hand 
stands  by  to  let  go  the  outhaul,  another 
the  halyards,  while  all  get  ready  to 
grapple  with  and  spill  and  smother  the 
bellying  duck  and  bring  it  into  sub- 
jection to  the  deck. 

We  are  almost  on  top  of  the  mark 
when  the  skipper  sings  out  :  "  In 
spinnaker  ! " 

As  the  outhaul  is  slacked,  the  men, 
grabbing  the  foot  of  the  sail,  lug  it  in, 
and,  spilling  the  wind  out  of  the  flapping 
canvas,  wrestle  with  it  and  victoriously 
overcome  it,  until  it  lies  an  inert  mass  at 
their  feet.  The  boom  is  then  topped  up 
and  all  hands  lie  aft  to  tend  the  main- 
sheet,  which  is  stretched  along  the  deck 
to  rally  in  quickly.  The  jib  and  fore- 
sail are  set  already  and  trimmed  down 
to  the  marks.  A  couple  of  men  stand 
by  ready  to  "  come  up  "  the  topmast- 
backstay  and  get  it  set  up  on  the  other 
side  before  an  undue  strain  comes  on 
the  spar. 

"  Now,  boys,  haul  in  the  main-sheet," 
says  the  skipper  as  he  shifts  the  helm 


A  Douin-to-date  Yacht  Race     213 

so  as  to  bring  the  wind  on  the  other 
quarter.  Hand  over  hand  the  men 
drag  in  the  boom,  pulling  as  if  for  dear 
life.  The  wind  pipes  so  breezily  that 
the  skipper  has  as  much  as  he  can  do  to 
gybe  the  boat  so  as  to  make  a  close  turn 
round  the  mark  and  carry  away  nothing. 

The  boom  comes  over  with  a  whirl 
and  a  rush,  and  is  checked  by  a  turn 
round  the  cleat.  The  yacht  flies  up  in 
the  wind,  but  is  met  with  the  helm  and 
the  head-sails,  and  there  we  are,  close- 
hauled  on  the  port  tack,  with  three 
strakes  of  the  lee  deck  under  water  and 
a  devil  of  a  strain  on  the  topmast.  The 
yacht,  as  she  comes  to  the  wind,  takes  a 
header  into  a  big  green  sea  and  floods 
the  deck.  This  is  her  first  fault  of  the 
day,  and  we  cheerfully  forgive  her,  not 
minding  the  wetting,  and  making  up 
our  minds  for  a  hard  tussle  home  against 
wind  and  sea. 

Now  that  we  have  fairly  settled  down 
to  windward  work,  we  have  time  to  look 
after  our  opponent.  We  see  that  she, 
too,  has  rounded  without  parting  a  rope- 
yarn.  She  is  ahead  of  us,  and  a  wee  bit 
to  windward.  We  notice  that  she  is  be- 
ing "nipped,"  the  luff  of  her  mainsail 
shaking  all  the  time.  She  isn't  quite  so 
stiff  as  we  are,  and  her  immense  club- 
topsail  will  bury  her  if  her  skipper  will 
only  give  it  a  chance.  He  is  afraid  to 
take  it  in,  for  he  knows  that  before  he 
could  get  his  "  thimble-header  "  set  we 
should  work  out  half  a  mile  on  his 
weather,  so  he  sails  her  close,  and  prays 
that  the  wind  may  lull. 


2i4  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

Captain  Marlin,  on  the  contrary,  gives 
it  to  Phantom  hammer  and  tongs,  let- 
ting her  go  clean  through  the  water 
with  the  sails  ramping  full.  The  decks 
to  leeward  are  wet,  but  little  does  that 
concern  us,  for  we  know  that  when  we 
go  about  on  the  other  tack  we  shall  be 
able  to  cross  our  rival's  bows,  unless 
she  also  goes  about.  And  so  it  comes 
to  pass.  The  next  "  board  "  assures  us 
that  the  race  is  ours,  unless  we  get 
crippled.  We  plant  ourselves  on  the 
weather  of  the  Ghost  and  stick  to  her, 
tack  and  tack.  We  keep  her  jammed 
under  our  lee,  in  chancery,  as  it  were  ; 
and  there  she  remains  until  we  cross 
the  line,  a  winner  by  2m.  428. 
.  We  come  to  anchor,  furl  the  sails, 
send  in  a  certificate  that  we  have  com- 
plied with  all  the  sailing  rules  of  the 
match,  and  hoist  another  winning  flag 
to  join  our  already  long  string.  Then 
the  steward  is  sent  ashore,  and  he  quickly 
returns  with  a  fine  feed  for  the  crew, 
which  is  vastly  enjoyed  by  thein,  after 
drinking  a  "  horn  "  apiece  to  the  further 
success  of  the  Phantom  and  her  owner. 


VII. 

RACING  RULES  AND  THE  RULE  OF 
THE  ROAD. 

SOME     IMPORTANT     POINTS     THAT     AMATEURS    AND 
PROFESSIONALS    SHOULD    BEAR    IN    MIND. 

IT   is  gratifying  to   all  lovers  of  the 
sport  that  race  committees  now  are 
in  the  habit  of  starting  the  yachts 
exactly  at  the  time  advertised — that 
is  if  wind  and  weather  permit.    The  old 
custom  of  waiting  half  an  hour  or  so  for 
lazy  laggards  to  reach  the  line  is  happily 
going  out  of  fashion.    As  a  general  rule, 
there  is  no  plausible  excuse  for  a  yacht 
being  late,  as  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances   arrangements    can    easily    be 
made  for  arriving  on  the  scene,  either 
in  tow  or  under  sail,  in  good  season   for 
the  start. 

Nothing  adds  more  to  the  popularity 
of  a  yacht  club  than  a  race  committee 
that  knows  its  business,  starts  the  race 
punctually  as  advertised  unless  pre- 
vented by  the  weather,  takes  the  time 
accurately  of  each  craft  as  she  crosses 
the  line,  sees  that  the  racing  rules  are 
obeyed,  and  after  the  race  is  finished 
promptly  posts  up  a  list  of  the  winners. 
Above  all,  the  committee  should  make 


2 1 6  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

sure  that  all  mark-boats  are  in  their 
places  before  the  starting  signal  is  given. 
I  once  knew  a  race  committee  —  but 
there,  I  won't  tell  tales  out  of  school. 

I  hope  it  will  not  be  held  as  presump- 
tuous on  my  part  if  I  ask  the  race  com- 
mittees to  treat  yachting  reporters  with 
courtesy.  They  are  sometimes  seasick; 
they  generally  would  feel  much  happier 
ashore.  They  may  sometimes  appear 
too  eager  and  zealous  for  information; 
but  their  motive  is  good,  they  are  anx- 
ious to  "file  early  copy"  and  thus  avoid 
their  editor's  wrath.  The  members  of 
the  club  like  to  see  good  reports  of  their 
races  in  the  public  press,  and  this  end 
is  rarely  achieved  by  insulting  or  snub- 
bing a  newspaper  man,  who  after  all  is 
a  human  being,  if  not  of  such  high  de- 
gree as  a  haughty  member  of  a  race 
committee.  Besides,  the  newspaper  man 
dissembles  his  wrath,  bides  his  time;  and 
when  his  opportunity  arrives  doesn't  he 
just  roast  his  insulter  ? 

Members  of  race  committees  should 
keep  their  eyes  open  all  the  time.  They 
should  try  to  become  familiar  with  the 
general  appearance  of  each  competing 
yacht  so  that  she  may  be  identified 
without  the  aid  of  her  number.  They 
should  be  quick  to  detect  any  breach 
of  the  rules  and  should  unhesitatingly 
punish  offenders.  Punctuality  with  the 
gun  is  a  cardinal  virtue,  and  strict  im- 
partiality is  another.  In  this  country, 
up  to  1898,  the  decision  of  the  race  com- 
mittee has  always  been  final,  there  hav- 


Racing  Rules.  217 

ing  been  no  court  of  last  resort  like  the 
Y.  R.  A.  of  Great  Britain  to  appeal  to. 
I  am  proud  to  say  that  very  few  unsat- 
isfactory decisions  have  come  under  my 
notice. 

As  yacht  racing  is  a  gentleman's  sport, 
it  is  needless  to  lay  stress  on  the  yacht 
owner's  obligation  to  live  up  to  its  eth- 
ics, to  observe  the  racing  rules  in  spirit 
and  letter,  to  be  sparing  in  the  iise  of 
the  protest  flag — indeed  never  to  dis- 
play it  unless  he  is  convinced  that  there 
has  been  an  undoubted  violation  of  the 
rules.  After  he  has  made  his  protest  he 
should  not  withdraw  it,  but  allow  the 
race  committee  to  adjudicate  upon  it. 
The  protest  must  be  made  in  writing. 

A  writer  in  the  Yachtsman  some  years 
ago,  while  discussing  the  whole  subject 
of  protests,  suggested  that  a  good  way 
of  checking  the  unsportsmanlike  habit 
of  hoisting  a  protest-flag  without  suf- 
ficient cause,  would  be  to  compel  a  com- 
petitor displaying  the  flag  to  deposit  the 
sum  of  ;£i  with  the  sailing  committee, 
which  should  be  forfeited  to  the  club 
fund  in  the  event  of  the  protest  being 
withdrawn,  and  only  be  repaid  in  the 
event  of  the  protest  being  decided  in 
favor  of  the  protesting  party.  This,  in 
my  judgment,  is  a  capital  suggestion 
and  should  be  adopted  whenever  the 
time  is  ripe  for  it.  The  upholders  of 
the  maxim,  "When  in  doubt,  hoist  a 
protest-flag,"  should  be  brought  up  with 
a  round  turn.  A  better  maxim  is,  "  Be 
sure  you  are  right,  and  then  go  ahead." 


218  yachting  Wrinkles. 

There  is,  however,  one  point  which  I 
wish  to  make.  Not  so  long  ago  it  was 
common  report  that  the  owner  of  a 
yacht  in  a  class  where  shifting  ballast 
was  prohibited,  habitually  carried  bags 
of  shot  in  his  cabin  and  when  the  breeze 
was  heavy  placed  them  on  a  shelf  to 
windward,  so  as  to  increase  the  boat's 
stability.  The  charge  was  never  inves- 
tigated. Whether  true  or  false,  I  know 
not.  If  true,  the  offender  should  have 
been  expelled  from  the  club  and  from 
the  society  of  gentlemen  generally.  If 
false,  the  same  justice  should  have  been 
meted  out  to  his  calumniators.  In  my 
opinion,  the  case  called  for  the  fullest 
inquiry. 

The  practice  of  being  measured  with 
three  light  men  aboard  as  crew  and  sail- 
ing the  race  with  three  heavyweights, 
was  begun  by  certain  unscrupulous 
tricksters.  This  was,  however,  stopped 
summarily  by  a  hard  and  fast  rule,  de- 
fining the  limit  of  live  weight  to  be  car- 
ried. 

The  race  committee,  if  it  sees  any 
transgression  of  the  sailing  rules,  should 
disqualify  the  offender,  whether  a  pro- 
test is  made  or  not.  For  the  honor  of 
our  yachtsmen  be  it  said,  that,  generally, 
if  they  commit  any  breach  of  the  rules, 
such  as  fouling  a  mark,  they  voluntarily 
report  the  incident  to  the  officers  and 
thus  there  is  no  need  of  an  accuser. 

An  owner  above  all  should  make  it 
his  business  to  see  for  himself  that  the 
taxable  length  of  his  yacht  is  never 


Racing  Rules.  219 

increased.  Remembering  the  unhappy 
Dunraven  episode,  he  should  not  make 
charges  against  his  opponent  which  he 
is  not  prepared  to  substantiate  by  most 
convincing  evidence.  A  gentleman  is 
as  chivalrous  concerning  his  antago- 
nist's honor  as  he  is  about  his  own.  If 
not,  he  ought  to  be.  At  the  same  time, 
if  he  observes  any  "  sharp  practice  "  on 
the  part  of  a  competitor,  it  is  his  duty  to 
expose  it  in  the  interest  of  true  sport. 

A  racing  skipper  should  have  the  rac- 
ing rules  at  his  fingers'  ends.  For  in- 
stance, if  his  yacht  is  sailing  in  the  an- 
nual regatta  of  the  New  York  Yacht 
Club,  he  must  take  care  that  the  vessel's 
private  signal  and  her  number  are  dis- 
played according  to  the  rule  ;  that  no 
more  persons  are  on  board  than  permis- 
sible by  Rule  8  ;  that  a  boat  and  two 
life-buoys  are  on  deck. 

I  remember  having  been  a  guest  on 
the  cutter  Mayflower  in  her  race  against 
the  Volunteer  for  the  Goelet  cup,  when 
a  mistake  was  made  about  a  boat,  which, 
if  it  had  not  been  rectified  in  time, 
might  have  led  to  our  disqualification. 
We  carried  a  small  boat  on  deck,  but 
finding  it  rather  in  the  way  when  work- 
ing ship,  we  passed  it  down  the  skylight 
into  the  main  saloon.  One  of  Commo- 
dore E.  D.  Morgan's  guests  pointed  oiit 
that  the  rule  stated  plainly  that  the  boat 
must  be  carried  on  deck.  In  a  jiffy  the 
offending  boat  was  lugged  up  out  of  the 
cabin  and  placed  where  it  rightfully  be- 
longed. 


220  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

The  skipper  must  study  the  sailing 
instructions  with  critical  care ;  he  must 
not  forget  that,  the  preparatory  signal 
once  made,  the  yacht  is  amenable  to  the 
racing  rules  until  the  end  of  the  con- 
test ;  that  a  yacht  going  free  keeps  clear 
of  a  yacht  close-hauled  ;  that  a  yacht 
close-hauled  on  the  port  tack  keeps  clear 
of  a  yacht  close-hauled  on  the  starboard 
tack  ;  that  when  going  free  on  opposite 
tacks,  the  yacht  with  the  wind  on  the 
port  side  keeps  clear  ;  that  when  going 
free  on  the  same  tack  the  windward 
yacht  keeps  clear  ;  that  a  yacht  with 
the  wind  aft  keeps  clear  of  all  others  ; 
that  when  yachts  which  overlap  are 
rounding  a  mark  or  passing  an  ob- 
struction, the  outside  yacht  must  give 
room  to  and  keep  clear  of  the  inside 
yacht. 

He  should  remember  that  a  yacht  on 
the  port  tack  can  be  disqualified  if  she 
strike  or  be  struck  by  a  yacht  on  the 
starboard  tack,  also  if  the  latter  luff, 
tack  or  bear  away  to  avoid  being  struck. 
This  is  a  most  important  rule,  because 
if  a  breach  of  it  occurs,  the  yacht  re- 
sponsible for  it  is  not  only  disqualified 
but  is  liable  for  any  damage  that  may 
result. 

When  yachts  approach  an  obstruction 
close-hauled,  and  the  leeward  yacht 
cannot  tack  and  clear  the  windward 
yacht,  the  helmsman  of  the  leeward 
yacht  should  hail  for  room  and  the  two 
yachts  must  then  tack  together.  An 
overtaking  yacht  must  keep  clear  of  an 


Racing  Rules.  221 

overtaken  yacht,  which  may  luff  but 
must  not  bear  away  out  of  her  course 
to  obstruct  the  passage  of  her  competitor 
to  leeward.  If  a  yacht  runs  ashore,  or 
fouls  a  vessel  or  other  obstruction,  she 
may  use  her  own  boats  and  gear  to  get 
clear,  but  she  must  take  them  aboard 
again,  and  is  forbidden  to  accept  help 
except  from  the  crew  of  the  vessel 
fouled.  This  rule  is,  however,  qualified 
by  another,  which  declares  that  when 
accidents  occur  competing  yachts  must 
assist  to  save  life. 

A  yacht  must  be  propelled  by  sail 
alone  after  the  preparatory  gun.  If  she 
is  late  and  is  being  towed  toward  the 
starting  line  when  the  preparatory  sig- 
nal is  given,  she  may  be  disqualified. 
Tardy  owners  and  skippers  should  keep 
tab  on  this.  A  yacht  may  anchor  dur- 
ing a  race,  but  she  may  not  slip.  She 
must  not  warp  or  kedge,  or  make  fast 
to  a  buoy,  pier/vessel  or  other  obstruc- 
tion. The  government  regulations  re- 
garding lights  and  fog  signals,  shall  be 
observed  by  day  and  by  night. 

These  are  the  principal  rules  which 
the  skipper  should  never  forget  if  he 
desires  to  achieve  or  maintain  a  reputa- 
tion. One  thing  I  want  to  impress  upon 
him  is  that  in  any  emergency  W7hen  his 
vessel  may  be  in  peril,  it  is  his  impera- 
tive duty  to  follow  the  regulations  of 
the  rule  of  the  road  at  sea,  as  prescribed 
by  international  law,  and  disregard  any 
racing  rules  that  in  the  slightest  degree 
conflict  with  a  literal  interpretation  of 


222 


Yachting  Wrinkles. 


this  rule.  If  he  fails  in  this  duty  his 
owner  is  responsible  for  any  and  all 
damage  incurred  by  his  vessel  or  by  the 
vessel  he  collides  with.  In  an  admiral- 
ty court  the  racing  rules  of  a  yacht  club 
or  a  yacht-racing  association  are  disre- 
garded. The  case  is  judged  by  standard 
rules  of  law  that  prevail  among  all  sea- 
faring nations.  Those  who  break  the 
law  must  pay  the  penalty  thereof.  I 
cannot  impress  this  little  legal  maxim 
too  strongly  on  both  owners  and  skip- 
pers. 


VIGILANT. 


VIII. 
EVOLUTION   OF  THE  RACER. 

HOW    TONNAGE     AND     MEASUREMENT     RULES     HAVE 
AFFKCTED  FORM  IN  AMERICA  AND  GREAT  BRITAIN. 

THE  growth  of  the  English  cutter 
from  its  cradle,  on  the  south  and 
east  coasts,  where  the  fantail 
stern  was  created,  is  an  interest- 
ing study.  From  the  Pearl,  designed  by 
Sainty,  the  smuggler,  for  the  Marquis  of 
Anglesey,  down  to  the  modern  yacht  of 
1899,  it  is  apparent  that  the  evolution  of 
the  craft  was  slow  and  gradual  until 
about  1 880, since  when  strides  of  unprec- 
edented length  have  been  taken.  Up 
to  1880  yacht  designing  advanced  slug- 
gishly, both  here  and  abroad,  but  the 
progress  of  the  art  could  be  marked  by 
the  intelligent  student,  even  as  a  trained 
forester  can  tell  the  age  of  an  oak  from 
a  section  of  the  trunk.  The  more  closely 
you  observe,  the  more  clearly  are  you 
convinced  that  the  naval  architects  of 
both  countries  have  for  some  time  been 
converging  to  a  common  goal.  This 
goal  they  now  seem  to  have  attained. 

In  order  to  give  an  intelligent  sum- 
mary of  the  development  of  the  racing 
yacht  of  to-day,  it  is  necessary,  as  we 


226  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

progress,  to  take  note  of  the  measure- 
ment or  tonnage  rule  which  caused  the 
change  in  the  form  of  the  yacht. 

The  yacht  of  the  early  part  of  the 
century  was  an  apple-bowed  craft  of 
about  three  beams  to  length,  ballasted 
with  stone,  gravel,  or  old  iron.  Compe- 
tition was  restricted  to  matches  be- 
tween two  yachts,  the  bigger  craft, 
other  things  being  equal,  usually  win- 
ning. The  first  rule  was  derived  from 
the  mercantile  marine,  and  had  been  in 
force  since  1794.  It  was  one  in  which 
length  of  keel  and  fore-rake,  and  the 
breadth  at  broadest  place,  were  the  only 
dimensions  that  were  measured.  It  did 
not  matter  how  high  or  how  low  the 
vessel  was  in  the  hold,  half-breadth  was 
taken  to  represent  the  depth,  in  calcu- 
lating tonnage.  The  tendency^  of  this 
rule  was  to  make  vessels  high,  narrow, 
and  flat-sided,  in  order  to  get  as  large  a 
carrier  as  possible  with  the  smallest 
registered  tonnage.  This  was  called 
builder's  tonnage,  and  was  in  vogue 
until  1854  in  the  mercantile  marine.  It 
was  applied  to  yachts  simply  as  a  guide 
for  building  them  or  for  their  purchase 
and  sale.  Up  to  1854  there  was  no  time 
allowance  whatever.  Big  and  little 
yachts  raced  together  indiscriminately, 
and,  of  course,  the  larger  boats  had  the 
advantage.  It  struck  Mr.  Holland 
Ackers  as  being  somewhat  of  an  anom- 
aly, so  he  proposed  a  table  of  time  al- 
lowances between  large  and  small 
yachts,  the  basis  being  the  difference  in 


Evolution  of  the  Racer.         229 

size,  as  measured  by  the  merchant-ship 
tonnage  rule,  as  given  above,  and  the 
length  of  the  course. 

To  evade  the  heavy  harbor  dues,  etc., 
to  which  merchant  vessels  were  liable 
under  the  1794  tonnage  rule,  shipbuild- 
ers naturally  reduced  beam,  which  was 
penalized  twice  over,  and  increased 
depth,  which  was  not  taxed  at  all,  thus 
creating  a  vicious  type  of  vessel.  Yacht 
builders  followed  suit,  gradually  in- 
creasing draught  and  decreasing  beam. 
Then  came  the  raking  sternpost,  intro- 
duced about  1850  by  Wanhill,  of  Poole, 
which  gave  on  a  given  length  of  keel  a 
much  longer  water-line.  Outside  lead 
followed. 

In  1854  the  "Thames  Rule"  was 
adopted,  by  which  the  length  on  deck 
was  measured  and  from  this  length  the 
whole  beam  was  subtracted. 

This  system  did  fairly  well  till  heavy 
lead  keels  were  introduced.  Then 
builders  and  owners  found  that  with  a 
lot  of  length  and  depth  yachts  could 
carry  sail  enough  to  make  them  faster 
and  more  powerful  vessels  than  their 
predecessors,  the  reason  being  because 
they  were  far  larger  in  reality,  carrying 
about  25  per  cent,  more  sail  and  ballast, 
whereas  if  the  actual  draught  of  water 
had  been  used  as  a  factor  in  defining1 
the  tonnage  no  such  abortions  as  this 
rule  encouraged  would  ever  have  been 
built. 

The  apple  bow  and  barrel-like  bottom 
flourished  in  England  until  1851,  when 


23° 


Yachting  Wrinkles. 


the  schooner-yacht  America  created  a 
revolution  in  British  yacht  naval  archi- 
tecture. Then,  following  the  shape  of 
that  memorable  craft,  the  long,  hollow 
bow  became  the  fashion. 

In  1878  the  Yacht  Racing  Association 
decided  that  the  length  should  be  meas- 
ured on  the  load  water-line  instead  of  on 
deck.  This  was  principally  owing  to  the 


NOW    "  COMETE,"   EMPEROR    OF   GER- 
MANY,   OWNER. 


circumstance  that  designers,  in  order  to 
cheat  the  rule,  had  adopted  such  devices 
as  a  ram  bow  and  an  immersed  counter. 
The  yachts  continued  to  get  longer 
and  narrower  and  deeper  until,  in  1882, 
the  Yacht  Racing  Association  adopted  a 
rule  a  trifle  easier  on  beam;  and  in  1887 
a  rule  was  formulated  in  which  length 


Evolution  of  the  Racer.         231 


and  sail  area  alone  were  penalized,  beam 
being-  left  free  from  any  tax  whatever. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  first 
yacht  built  that  took  advantage  of  this 
rule  was  the  Thistle,  which  challenged 
for  the  America's  Cup  in  1887  and  was 
defeated  by  Volunteer.  Thistle's  beam 
was  20  3  feet,  while  that  of  Genesta  and 
Galatea  was  15  feet.  A  comparison  of 
two  crack  English  craft  and  two  smart 
Yankee  yachts  of  the  year  1893  shows 
how  close  Mr.  Herreshoff  and  Mr.  Wat- 


son were  coming: 


Length 
L.  W.  L. 
Feet. 

Britannia 87.8 

Valkyrie  II 86.8 

Navahoe,  C.  H 86.93 

''igilant,  C.  B 86. 19 


Beam. 

Feet. 
23  66 
22.33 
23.00 
26.25 


"VOLUNTEER." 


232  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

Still  more  significant  are  the  measure- 
ments of  Valkyrie  III.  and  Defender, 

both  keel   Craft  :  Length  L.  W.  L.  Beam. 

Feet.  Feet. 

Valkyrie  III. 88.85  26-2° 

Defender 88.45  22.20 

It  will  be  seen  that  not  only  did  the 
American  designer  discard  the  center- 
board,  but  he  gave  his  craft  less  beam 
than  the  British  boat.  I  remember  when 
both  vessels  were  hauled  out  in  the  Erie 
Basin,  Brooklyn,  the  American  yacht 
was  generally  mistaken  for  the  English, 
and  vice  versa  ;  this,  too,  by  experts  look- 
ing on  from  a  distance  too  remote  to 
distinguish  the  names  on  their  sterns. 

In  1892  the  leading  yacht  designers  of 
Great  Britain,  realizing  the  rating  rule 
then  in  vogue,  wrote  to  the  Yacht  Racing- 
Association  suggesting  that  the  rule  be 
so  modified  that  a  type  of  vessel  having 
more  body  be  evolved.  In  the  same 
communication  they  said,  defining  what 
the  general  public  requires  in  a  yacht : 

"That  she  shall  be  safe  in  all  conditions 
of  wind  and  weather,  that  she  shall  com- 
bine the  maximum  of  room  on  deck  and 
below  with  the  minimum  of  prime  cost, 
and  that  she  shall  be  driven  as  fast  as 
may  be,  with  the  least  expenditure  of 
labor,  i.  e.,  that  she  shall  have  a  moder- 
ate and  workable  sail  area.  Therefore, 
as  but  few  men  can  afford  to  build  for 
racing,  and  for  racing  only,  and  as  the 
racer  of  to-day  is  the  cruiser  of  a  few 
years  hence,  any  rating  rule  should,  by 
its  limitations,  encourage  such  a  whole- 
some type  of  vessel." 


Evolution  of  the  Racer.          235 

The  Yacht  Racing  Association,  on  the 
other  hand,  held  the  view  that  what  the 
yacht-owning  public  want  in  a  racing 
yacht  is  speed  first,  last,  and  all  the 
time,  no  matter  what  the  cost.  The  only 
change  made  at  that  time  was  in  the 
measurement  of  the  fore  triangle  and 
marking  the  load  water-line  forward 
and  aft. 

Thistle  was  the  first  big  English  rac- 
ing cutter  with  a  clipper  bow.  Her 


Designed  by  Watson,  1894. 

"  ELLEN  " — 2O- RATER. 

advent  caused  much  critical  comment 
among  the  experts,  whose  eyes  had  be- 
come so  accustomed  to  the  "  cutter  stem" 
that  they  fairly  blinked  when  they  first 
gazed  on  the  new  Clyde  craft. 

Mr.  Watson,  writing  about  the  defeat 
of  the  Thistle  in  1894,  says  :  "  Her  sur- 
face was  so  cut  down  that  sufficient 


236  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

lateral  plane  was  not  left  to  hold  her  to 
windward,  and  although  she  sailed  the 
water  as  fast  as  the  American  cham- 
pion, the  Volunteer \  she  drifted  bodily 
to  leeward." 

After  Mr.  Watson  had  realized  the 
superiority  of  Vigilant1  s  model  over  that 
of  Valkyrie  //.,  he  designed  the  2o-rater 
Ellen,  which  I  reproduce  from  a  pho- 
tograph. It  will  be  noticed  that  her 
form  is  strikingly  similar  to  that  of 
Vigilant.  Of  a  verity,  imitation  is  the 
sincerest  form  of  flattery  ! 

With  the  long  overhang  forward,  the 
running  bowsprit  was  abolished.  The 
modified  cutter  rig  thus  resulting  is 
practically  the  same  in  both  America 
and  England.  Bobstays  are  now  bars 
of  steel  or  iron,  and  bowsprits  are  com- 
paratively short  when  compared  with 
those  that  used  to  project  from  the 
bows  of  the  straight-stemmed  cutters. 

The  clipper  bow  was  gradually  al- 
tered and  modified  until  the  present 
stage  was  reached. 

That  sterling  old  British  racing  skip- 
per, Captain  Tom  Jay,  talking  about 
the  modern  cutter,  with  her  cutaway 
forefoot  and  raking  sternpost,  being  an 
awkward  craft  to  handle  in  a  seaway, 
said  :  "  Believe  me,  sir,  it's  not  always 
so  much  the  craft  that's  awkward  as  the 
people  that's  in  her.  Of  course,  being 
so  easy  to  drive,  they  reach  faster  than 
the  old  -  fashioned  vessels,  and  that 
makes  them  drive  harder  into  the  seas  ; 
but  that  is  mostly  a  matter  of  the  can- 


Evolution  of  the  Racer.          237 

vas  you  set.  Of  course,  the  worst  time 
is  when  you're  sailing  a  point  or  two 
free,  because  they  go  their  ten  knots, 
and  that  means  that  they  throw  it 
about  a  bit." 

In  our  own  country  the  measurement 


BOW,    1892. 

rules  have  also  had  a  dominant  influence 
on  the  form  of  our  racing  craft  as  they 
appear  in  1899. 

Monstrosities  with  fin-keels  now  mo- 
nopolize the  races  in  the  larger  classes, 
while  scows  and  ingenious  nondescripts, 


STERN,  1892. 

which  sailors  would  never  mistake  foi 
boats,  control  all  the  sport  in  the  smallei 
classes.  How  to  give  the  owner  of  the 
honest  boat  a  fair  show,  while  at  the 
same  time  dealing  justly  with  the  owner 
of  the  racing  machine,  is  a  problem  that 


REVENUE    CUTTER. 
1830. 


"  MOSQUITO,' 
1848. 


'  'VANESSA,"  1873. 


"  JULLANAK," 

I875- 


"  CHITTYWEE,' 

1882. 


MIDSHIP    SECTIONS    OF    FIVE    ENGLISH    CUTTERS. 


PURITAN       AND 
"  GENESTA." 

1885 


MAYFI  OWER 

AND 
"  GALATEA," 

1886. 


"  VOLUNTEER 
AND   "  THISTLE, 
1887. 


"  VIGILANT 

AND 
VALKYRIE   II. 

1893. 


"  DEFENDER 

AND 
"VALKYRIE  III 

I895. 


THE    CUP    CONTESTANTS. 


The  lower  lines  are  approximately  those  of  the  Knsrlisn  cut 
ters.  except  in  the  ciian  of  "  Valkyrie  III  ."  which  la  wider  and 


shallower  thun  "  Defender  " 


240  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

seeks  for  solution  at  the  hands  of  con- 
stituted yachting  authorities.  The  pres- 
ent fleet  of  "  freaks  "  is  due  in  the  first 
instance  to  the  want  of  foresight  dis- 
played by  the  clubs  in  not  legislating 
against  them  when  they  first  made  their 
appearance.  Naval  architects  are  only 
human,  and  they  cannot  be  blamed  for 
taking  advantage  of  any  and  every  ill- 
considered  rule  adopted  by  the  clubs. 
For  instance,  when  beam  was  taxed  in 
Great  Britain  the  result  was  the  long, 
deep  and  narrow  craft  which  so  long 
prevailed  across  the  Atlantic.  The  tax 
was  taken  off  beam  in  1886,  and  the 
consequence  was  the  practical  abolition 
of  the  narrow  British  cutter  and  the 
adoption  of  a  beamier  type  of  craft.  At 
the  present  time  beam  as  a  factor  is  util- 
ized in  much  the  same  way  both  in  this 
country  and  in  Great  Britain.  Until 
some  sage  discovers  what  is  absolutely 
the  best  type  of  yacht,  we  shall  continue 
to  go  beating  about  the  bush. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  a  rating  rule 
can  be  so  framed  as  to  make  any  par- 
ticular type  come  into  vogue,  and  in  the 
end  that  type  is  bound  to  be  pushed  to 
extremes.  Experience  has  shown  that 
when  this  stage  arises  in  an  acute  form 
the  standard  of  rating  is  altered.  This 
has  been  the  case  in  the  United  States 
ever  since  the  sport  became  established. 
When  the  New  York  Yacht  Club  was 
organized  in  1844  the  yachts  were  rated 
according  to  Custom  House  tonnage, 
first-class  sloops  allowing  35  seconds  a 


242  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

ton  and  second-class  sloops  allowing  45 
seconds  a  ton  to  their  inferiors.  This 
system  was  in  force  for  only  two  years. 
In  1840  a  startling  innovation  was  made. 
It  was  neither  more  nor  less  than  get- 
ting the  actual  weight  of  the  yachts, 
which  was  computed  by  the  revolutions 
of  screw-jacks  placed  under  the  keel  of 
the  boat  when  in  dry  dock.  Here  is  an 
example  culled  from  the  club's  archives  : 

YACHT    "SYREN." 

Weight  of  boat 115,776  Ibs. 

Weight  of  keel 3,400  Ibs. 

Weight  of  rudder  219  Ibs. 

Total 110,395  Ibs. 

Racing  measurement,  53  tons  6  cwt.  9  Ibs. 

From  these  data  the  allowances  were 
computed.  This  queer  rule  was  in 
vogue  until  1852,  when  a  widely  differ- 
ent regulation  was  adopted.  Sail  area 
alone  was  taken  into  account,  the  fol- 
lowing being  the  allowance  : 

First  class — Over  3,300  square  feet  sail  area,  i  second 
per  foot. 

Second  class— Between  2,300  and  3,300  feet,  ij£  sec- 
onds per  foot. 

Third  class— Less  than  2, 300  feet,  ij^  seconds  per  foot. 

The  natural  result  of  this  rule  was  the 
adoption  of  the  light-draught  boats  vul- 
garly designated  as  "  skimming  dishes." 
It  was  found  that  it  took  less  canvas  to 
drive  this  type  of  yacht  through  the 
water,  and  the  consequence  was  the 
biiilding  of  many  curious  craft  whose 
models  may  now  be  seen  on  the  walls 
of  the  New  York  Yacht  Club.  Here  is 
a  striking  example,  which  shows  how 
the  rule  affected  the  sail  area  of  the 
yachts.  The  schooner  Rebecca,  which, 


VALKYRIE    II. 


Evolution  of  the  Racer.         245 

before  the  rule  was  made,  used  to  carry 
a  sail  spread  of  3,303  square  feet,  was 
cut  down  to  an  area  of  1,306  square  feet. 
This  absurd  rule  was  in  force  with  a 
few  modifications  until  1871,  when  yet 
another  sweeping  change  was  made. 
This  time  the  elements  consisted  of  the 
yacht's  displacement  in  cubic  feet  and 
the  length  of  the  water-line.  In  1873  the 
rule  was  changed  so  as  to  take  into  ac- 
count the  cubic  contents  of  the  whole 
hull.  In  1883  a  plan  was  adopted  taking 


"  VALKYRIE   III." 

into  account,  as  a  function  of  the  new 
system,  twice  the  water-line  length  and 
once  the  sail  area.  In  1890  the  present 
rule  was  adopted  by  the  New  York  Yacht 
Club. 

Personally,  I  am  opposed  to  any  sys- 
tem that  restricts  or  taxes  sail,  and  I  am 
glad  to  be  able  to  quote  the  veteran 
Scotch  yacht  designer,  Mr.  William  Fife, 
Sr.,  as  being  on  my  side  of  the  fence. 
He  wrote,  in  January,  1895  :  "I  am  not 
a  believer  in  restricting  sail  ;  every 


u 


Evolution  of  the  Racer.          249 

yacht  should  get  what  she  can  carry.  I 
know  this  idea  has  many  opponents, 
although  I  never  saw  a  valid  reason 
against  it ;  a  yacht  can  be  spoiled  with 
excessive  spars  and  sails,  and  sail  area 
may  therefore  be  left  to  take  care  of  it- 
self. To  satisfy  those,  however,  who 
fear  that,  in  the  absence  of  any  tax  .on 
sail  area,  excessive  sail  areas  might  be 
introduced,  a  maximum  allowance  of  so 
many  square  feet  per  ton  might  be  speci- 
fied." 

We  are,  however,  confronted  by  con- 
ditions and  not  theories,  but  I  could  not 
help  putting  myself  on  record  as  being 
against  the  taxation  of  sail.  I  am  al- 
most alone  in  this.  But  to  resume. 
Madge,  Clara  and  other  imported  British 
cutters  had  considerable  influence,  and 
caused  our  designers  to  modify  the 
shallow  underwater  bodies  and  beamy 
tops,  the  Puritan  in  1885  being  the  first 
successful  compromise  vessel  built  in 
the  United  States.  Mayflower  and  Vol- 
unteer followed. 

Under  the  British  tonnage  rule  in 
vogue  in  1886,  a  po-foot  yacht  of  26-foot 
beam  would  have  been  an  impossibility, 
but  as  soon  as  the  penalty  was  taken  off 
beam  the  British  designers  took  ad- 
vantage of  the  circumstance  and  fol- 
lowed in  the  footsteps  of  the  Americans, 
until,  in  the  days  of  Valkyrie  III.  and 
Defender,  the  national  types  were  prac- 
tically the  same,  Herreshoff  being  a 
trifle  in  advance  of  Watson,  as  the  vic- 
tory of  the  British  craft  demonstrated. 


250  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

Meanwhile,  the  only  way  I  see  out  of 
the  difficulty  between  racing  machines 
and  honest  boats  is  to  sail  them  in  dif- 
ferent classes.  The  plan  is  good  to  draw 
up  tables  of  scantlings  and  rules  for  the 
construction  of  all  racing  yachts  to  be 
built  in  the  future.  As  for  the  "  freaks  " 
unhappily  now  in  existence,  it  is  con- 
solatory to  be  assured  that  they  will  all 
fall  to  pieces  very  soon.  It  is  a  great 
wonder,  indeed,  that  some  of  them  did 
not  succumb  at  the  close  of  their  first 
season. 

The  photographs  of  Valkyrie  III. 
and  Defender,  in  dry  dock,  which, 
through  the  kindness  of  my  friend  Mr. 
J.  C.  Hemment,  I  am  able  to  reproduce 
in  this  chapter,  show  the  remarkable 
similarity  that  exists  between  the  two 
yachts.  Both  were  taken  as  the  vessels 
appeared  in  the  Erie  Basin  when,  on  the 
eve  of  the  first  race,  they  were  docked 
to  receive  the  final  touches  for  the  fray. 

Defenders  hull  is  of  metal,  as  I  have 
previously  mentioned,  and  she  was  sub- 
jected to  a  very  thorough  polishing-up 
above  and  below  the  water  line.  I  had 
an  opportunity  which  I  did  not  allow  to 
escape  me  of  closely  examining  the  hull 
of  the  saucy  Yankee  craft  and  compar- 
ing her  lines  with  those  of  the  British 
boat.  Defender,  when  after  a  little  while 
you  came  to  appreciate  the  wondrous 
symmetry  of  her  underbody,  exhibited 
a  fairy-like  form  when  contrasted  with 
the  less  perfect  shape  of  her  rival.  I 
make  this  criticism  while  at  the  same 


Photo  by  J  C  Remmcnt 

"  DEFENDKK"  UNDER  KKOOKLYN  BRIDGE. 


Evolution  of  the  Racer.          253 

time  having  the  profoundest  respect  for 
the  genius  of  Mr.  Watson,  whose  talent 
as  a  naval  architect  nobody  admires 
more  than  I  do. 

But  after  my  visit  to  the  Erie  Basin 
in  Brooklyn  I  formed  the  opinion  that 
the  America's  cup  was,  barring  acci- 
dents, perfectly  safe  for  another  year. 
Defender  exhibited  all  the  grace  of  a 
thoroughbred  horse,  while  Valkyrie  was 
a  clumsier  but  apparently  a  more  power- 
ful creation.  Defender,  in  point  of  fact, 
was  as  highly  finished  a  product  of  the 
skillful  naval  architect  as  was  the  Scotch 
cutter  Minerva  when  compared  with 
some  of  the  "  brutes  "  that  were  built  to 
beat  her. 

I  had  plenty  of  time  to  examine  both 
vessels,  and  I  need  not  say  that  each  had 
a  wondrous  attraction  for  me.  I  saw 
Captain  Cranfield  mix  his  famous  black 
varnish  for  Valkyrie 's  bottom,  a  com- 
pound whose  two  principal  elements  are 
coal  tar  and  "  turps,"  but  which  gives  a 
surprising  gloss  and  sleek  finish  when 
mingled  in  correct  proportions.  I  saw 
this  applied  to  the  wooden  planking  of 
the  English  clipper,  and  thought  to 
myself  that  something  more  potent  and 
speed-compelling  would  be  necessary  to 
plaster  her  with  if  the  cup  were  to  be 
carried  away.  My  friends  on  the  staff 
of  OUTING  remember  that  on  my  return 
to  the  office  from  the  Erie  Basin  I  told 
them  my  views  of  the  rival  yachts,  and 
predicted  an  easy  victory  for  the  Yankee 
craft. 


254  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

My  sympathy  was  with  the  British 
boat.  I  realized  that  in  the  interest  of 
true  sport  it  would  be  a  capital  thing 
for  the  America's  cup  to  leave  our 
shores  for  a  while,  because  it  would  put 
our  yacht  designers  on  their  mettle,  and 
produce  something  wondrous  in  the 
yacht  line  so  far  as  speed  is  concerned. 
But  it  struck  me  that  Valkyrie  was 
scarcely  good  enough  to  accomplish  the 
task  for  which  she  was  constructed. 
Now  I  am  neither  a  prophet  nor  the  son 
of  a  prophet,  but  I  simply  relate  facts  as 
they  occurred.  I  am  convinced  also 
that  Mr.  Watson,  after  examining  De- 
fender in  dock,  realized  that  his  work 
had  been  in  vain,  and  that  Valkyrie, 
admirable  as  she  was  and  is,  was  a  wee 
bit  inferior  to  the  peerless  Bristol  flyer. 

The  photograph  of  Defender  passing 
under  Brooklyn  Bridge,  which  her  top- 
mast truck  barely  cleared  at  the  top  of 
high  water,  shows  the  tauntness  of  her 
mast,  and  is  a  splendid  object  lesson, 
worthy  of  preservation  for  all  time.  The 
spirited  photograph  of  her  crew  tailing 
onto  the  throat  halyards  of  the  mainsail 
shows  the  light  but  strong  rig  forward, 
the  stumpy  bowsprit,  the  batten-like 
bulwark,  and  the  other  modern  features 
of  the  beau-ideal  racing  vessel  of  1895. 

Whatever  developments  there  may  be 
in  store  for  us  with  regard  to  hull,  rig 
and  sail  plan,  I  know  not.  But  if  within 
the  next  ten  years  as  great  progress  is 
made  as  has  been  made  during  the  past 
decade,  the  racing  machine  of  that  epoch 


'PEFENDER"  UNDER  SAIL. 


Evolution  of  tkc  Racer.          257 

will  indeed  be  a  marvelous  scientific 
product.  Personally,  I  am  quite  willing 
to  endure  my  earthly  burdens  for  a 
while  longer  if  only  for  the  pleasure  of 
gratifying  my  curiosity  about  the  yacht 
of  the  future,  which  has  more  charms 
for  me  than  the  evolution  of  the  new 
woman,  fascinating  as  this  study  doubt- 
less is. 

During  the  many  years  in  which  I 
have  been  interested  in  yachting  I  have 
seen  many  eventful  changes  in  the 
yachts,  their  rig,  their  sail  plan,  and  also 
in  the  rules  that  govern  their  races. 
Speed  has  perhaps  been  developed  at 
the  expense  of  seaworthiness,  but  yacht 
sailors  have  also  become  more  expert  at 
their  calling,  having  progressed  with  the 
times.  Skippers  have  learned  to  handle 
craft  like  Valkyrie  or  Defender,  with 
main  booms  of  steel  105  feet  long,  in 
half  a  gale  of  wind ;  and  there  is  no 
doubt  that,  properly  rigged  and  under 
capable  charge,  they  are  as  safe  for  an 
ocean  voyage  as  any  other  kind  of  craft. 
I  will  not  say  a  word  about  the  comfort 
or  the  accommodations  to  be  found  in 
one  of  the  big  racing  cutters  ;  but  sailors 
are  accustomed  to  hardships,  even  as  eels 
to  the  knife  of  the  cook  that  skins  them. 

Much  stress  has  been  laid  upon  the 
superior  advantages  that  Defender  had 
over  Valkyrie  III.,  inasmuch  as  the 
challenger  was  built  more  strongly  and 
heavily,  as  she  had  to  cross  the  ocean  to 
race  for  the  cup.  1  don't  think  that  the 
mere  circumstance  of  a  transatlantic 


258  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

voyage  would  induce  a  modern  yacht- 
designer  to  add  a  single  superfluous 
ounce  ot  weight  to  a  racing  craft.  Luck 
is  depended  on  to  a  certain  extent,  but 
the  bold  and  skillful  skipper  is  relied  on 
most  of  all. 

I  remember  reading  the  other  day  of 
a  valiant  sea  captain  whose  steamer  was 
disabled  in  a  hurricane  and  lost  her 
funnel.  What  did  this  brave  fellow  do  ? 
Give  up  the  ship  and  take  to  the  boats  ? 
Not  he  ;  he  came  from  a  different  breed. 
He  rigged  up  a  jury  funnel  of  timber, 
barrels  and  canvas,  and  by  playing  the 
hose  on  this  improvised  smokestack  and 
keeping  it  continually  drenched  with 
water  managed  to  keep  up  a  good  head 
of  steam  and  eventually  reach  port.  He 
came  of  the  great  Anglo  Saxon  race, 
which  has  done  many  heroic  deeds  afloat 
and  will  continue  to  achieve  daring 
actions  just  as  long  as  Old  Ocean  en- 
dures Thus,  while  I  am  writing  about 
the  evolution  of  the  racer,  permit  me  to 
pay  my  humble  tribute  of  praise  to  the 
brave  seamen  who  man  the  racing 
yachts  and  have  made  as  much  head- 
way in  handling  the  marvelous  pieces 
of  mechanism  as  their  designers  have 
done  in  "creating"  them. 


"  VALKYRIE   III." 


IX. 
THE    ETIQUETTE    OF    YACHTING. 

WHAT     IS     CONSIDERED     i'O    BE    "GOOD     FORM"     IN 
CRAFT,    OWNER    AND    CREW. 

EVERY  yachtsman  should  be  con- 
versant with  the  etiquette  of  his 
calling.  If  ignorant  of  the  many 
nice  points  pertaining  to  his  own 
personal  behavior  afloat,  or  of  the  proper 
conduct  of  his  craft  at  anchor  or  under 
way,  he  may  become  the  subject  of  a 
certain  amount  of  ridicule,  which  is,  to 
say  the  least,  annoying  in  the  extreme. 
There  are  many  commodores  who  would 
rather  forgive  a  man  for  breaking  the 
majority  of  the  Ten  Commandments  be- 
tween dusk  and  dawn  than  for  commit- 
ting a  breach  of  nautical  etiquette  as 
handed  down  from  the  days  of  the 
fathers  of  the  sport  and  added  to  infini- 
tesimally  year  by  year 

In  Great  Britain  yachting  etiquette  is 
modeled  largely  after  that  of  the  Royal 
Navy,  and  the  same  is  true  in  a  meas- 
ure of  our  own  code  of  yachting  man- 
ners. 

It  ought  to  be  unnecessary  to  urge 
that  a  yacht  should  always  be  clean  and 
bright  as  a  new  pin  ;  her  decks  white  as 


262  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

a  hound's  tooth  ;  her  brass  work  gleam- 
ing, and  her  polished  or  varnished 
woodwork  with  a  mirror-like  burnish. 
Her  masts  should  be  correctly  stayed, 
her  standing  rigging  set  up  to  the  point 
of  rigidity,  her  running  gear  hauled 
taut  and  snugly  coiled  down,  her  flags 
mastheaded  right  up  to  the  truck,  no 
"  Irish  pennants "  towing  overboard, 
but  everything  from  truck  to  keelson 
ship-shape  and  Bristol  fashion.  A  yacht 
kept  in  good  order  is  a  credit  to  all 
aboard  from  owner  down  to  the  cook's 
mate.  Not  only  is  she  a  credit  to  those 
who  man  her,  but  also  to  the  club  whose 
burgee  she  flies.  In  this  respect  all 
yachtsmen,  but  especially  racing  yachts- 
men, should  aim  at  perfection,  and  not 
be  satisfied  until  they  make  a  clear 
bull's  eye. 

The  reason  for  this  is  that  a  racing 
yacht  invariably  attracts  more  attention 
than  does  one  of  the  purely  cruising 
kind,  and  any  carelessness,  however 
minute,  aboard  her  is  generally  sure  to 
be  magnified  to  a  high  degree  by  the 
microscopic  eye  of  criticism. 

Racing  crews  should  always  be  clean 
and  smart  as  paint.  Untidiness  should 
never  be  allowed. 

In  the  matter  of  guns,  Young  Amer- 
ica, particularly  when  afloat,  is  apt  to  be 
a  trifle  too  demonstrative.  It  need 
hardly  be  said  that  the  indiscriminate 
discharge  of  cannon  from  a  yacht  is, 
like  the  screeching  salute  of  a  steam 
whistle,  opposed  to  good  yachting  man- 


The  Etiquette  of  Yachting.      263 

tiers.  There  are  only  a  few  occasions 
when  it  is  necessary  to  waste  good  gun- 
powder on  a  yacht.  The  custom  in  this 
country  is  for  all  the  yachts  to  salute 
the  flag  officer  in  command  of  a  squad- 
ron when  he  joins  the  fleet,  every  boat 
that  carries  a  gun  banging  away  when 
the  flagship  drops  anchor.  This  is  a 
picturesque  sight  when  the  fleet  is  a  big 
one.  When  the  squadron  of  the  New 
York  Yacht  Club  used  to  rendezvous  at 
New  London  for  the  annual  cruise  a 
big  crowd  of  sightseers  used  to  sally 
forth  from  the  quaint  old  city  to  see  the 
flagship  join  the  squadron  and  receive 
the  salutes.  The  bang  of  the  big  guns 
from  the  mighty  steam  yachts  and  the 
diminutive  din  from  the  pigmy  popguns 
of  tiny  but  pretentious  craft  made  a 
rare  noise  in  the  harbor,  especially  when 
the  fleet,  as  it  often  did,  numbered  more 
than  one  hundred  sail.  This  saluting 
of  the  commodore  is  considered  obliga 
tory,  and  for  the  use  of  yachtsmen  who 
do  not  care  to  include  a  brass  cannon 
in  their  outfit  some  ingenious  pyrotech- 
nist invented  a  giant  cracker,  whose 
discharge  is  as  earsplitting  as  that  from 
the  biggest  yacht  cannon  ever  carried. 
To  hear  such  a  threatening  bang  ema- 
nate from  so  small  a  yacht  creates  some 
thing  akin  to  awe  !  When  a  squadron 
or  part  of  a  squadron  is  at  anchor  in  a 
roadstead  the  flag  officer  in  command 
or  the  senior  captain  present  fires  a  gun 
at  eight  bells  in  the  morning  watch 
making  "  colors,  "  the  fleet  taking  the 


264  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

time  from  the  flagship.  The  same  proc- 
ess is  gone  through  at  sundown,  the 
fleet  at  the  sound  of  the  gun  hauling 
down  the  ensign  and  the  club  burgee 
and  hoisting  the  night  pennant. 

The  commodore,  when  in  command 
of  a  squadron,  when  hoisting  a  signal  to 
get  under  way  or  perform  any  other 
nautical  manoeuvre,  calls  attention  to 
the  signal  by  firing  a  gun.  The  yachts, 
in  order  to  show  that  the  signal  has 
been  observed,  hoist  the  answering  pen- 
nant of  the  commercial  code  of  signals. 

Saluting  by  means  of  the  gun  when 
yachts  meet  under  way  is  obsolete,  al- 
though not  forbidden  by  the  code.  Craft 
now  content  themselves  with  dipping 
the  ensign,  junior  captains  saluting 
first. 

No  firing  of  guns  is  permissible  on 
Sunday. 

Owners  when  not  aboard  should  fly  a 
blue  rectangular  flag  from  the  starboard 
spreader  (the  main  spreader  of  a  schoon- 
er). In  order  that  visitors  may  not  in- 
trude when  the  owner  is  at  meals,  a 
white  rectangular  flag  is  displayed  from 
the  spreader  as  above.  A  red  pennant 
from  the  port  fore  spreader  of  a  schoon- 
er or  the  port  spreader  of  a  single- 
masted  craft  denotes  that  the  crew  are 
at  a  meal. 

If  I  may  make  so  bold  as  to  give  a 
hint  to  a  real  live  commodore,  I  venture 
to  suggest  that  he  shall  try  his  level  best 
to  appoint  a  fleet-captain  of  tact,  good 
temper,  sound  judgment,  discretion — in 


The  Etiquette  of  Yachting.      265 

fact,  a  gentleman  as  well  as  a  man  of 
the  world.  I  have  been  on  a  cruise  with 
a  fleet-captain  possessing  all  the  sterling 
attributes  above  enumerated,  and  I 
have  also  sailed  with  one  his  direct  op- 
posite. Thus  I  speak  from  experience. 
A  fleet-captain  may  do  much  to  make  or 
mar  the  pleasure  of  a  cruise. 

Single-masted  vessels  display  the 
private  signals  of  their  owners  when 
cruising  ;  when  at  anchor  they  fly  the 
club  burgee. 

In  making  colors,  salutes,  etc.,  the 
yacht  always  represents  the  rank  of  the 
owner,  whether  he  is  aboard  or  not. 

Yachts  in' commission  should  hoist 
their  colors  at  8  o'clock  A.  M.,  and  haul 
them  down  at  sunset,  taking  time  from 
the  senior  officer  present. 

Before  colors  in  the  morning  and  after 
colors  at  sunset,  the  ensign  and  distin- 
guishing flags  should  be  shown  when 
entering  port,  and  should  be  hauled 
down  immediately  on  coming  to  anchor. 

At  all  other  times  yachts  should  fly  a 
night  pennant  at  the  main,  from  colors 
at  sunset  until  colors  the  next  morning. 

On  Decoration  Day  and  occasions  of 
national  mourning,  the  ensign  only 
should  be  half-masted.  On  the  death  of 
the  owner  of  the  yacht,  both  the  club 
flag  and  his  private  signal  should  be 
half-masted,  but  not  the  ensign.  When 
mourning  is  ordered  for  the  death  of  a 
member  of  the  club,  the  club  flag  only 
should  be  half-masted.  This  rule  applies 
to  yachts  both  at  anchor  and  under  way. 


266  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

Flags  should  always  be  mast-headed 
before  half-masting  them,  and  should  be 
mast-headed  before  hauling  them  down. 
Saluting  with  the  ensign  at  half-mast 
should  be  done  by  mast-heading  first. 

The  senior  officer  present  should  be  in 
command  of  the  anchorage,  should  give 
the  time  for  colors,  make  and  return  sa- 
lutes, visits,  etc. 

His  yacht  should  remain  the  station 
vessel  until  a  senior  to  him  in  rank  ar- 
rives and  assumes  the  command  of  the 
anchorage. 

Flag  officers  should  always  fly  their 
pennants  while  in  commission. 

From  colors  at  sunset  until  sunrise 
the  commodore  should  show,  when  on 
board,  two  blue  lights,  perpendicularly, 
at  the  stern ;  when  absent,  one  blue 
light  should  be  shown.  The  vice-com- 
modore should  show  lights  as  provided 
for  the  commodore,  substituting  red 
lights  instead  of  blue.  Captains,  when 
on  board,  should  show  a  white  light  un- 
der the  main  boom  ;  when  absent  this 
light  should  be  extinguished. 

All  salutes  should  be  returned  in 
kind. 

Yachts  should  always  salute  vessels  of 
the  United  States  Navy  by  dipping  the 
ensign  once. 

The  commodore,  on  entering  port  to 
join  the  squadron,  should  be  saluted,  on 
coming  to  anchor,  by  the  yachts  present. 
On  all  other  occasions  the  commodore 
should  be  saluted,  on  coming  to  anchor, 
by  the  officer  in  command. 


The  Etiquette  of  Yachting.      267 

Junior  flag  officers  should  be  saluted, 
on  coming  to  anchor,  by  the  officer  in 
command,  unless  the  latter  be  a  senior 
in  rank,  in  which  case  they  should  salute 
him. 

Captains  should,  on  all  occasions,  sa- 
lute the  officer  in  command. 

The  salute  from  yachts  entering  port 
should  be  made  by  dipping  the  ensign 
once,  or  by  firing  a  gun  on  letting  go 
anchor. 

The  senior  officer,  when  leaving  the 
anchorage,  excepting  temporarily, 
should  indicate  the  transfer  of  command 
to  the  next  in  rank  by  firing  a  gun  on 
getting  under  way.  All  other  yachts 
should  salute  the  officer  in  command. 

All  visits  should  be  made  according  to 
rank. 

Yachts,  passing  one  another,  should 
always  exchange  salutes  by  dipping  the 
ensign  once,  juniors  saluting  first.  Steam 
whistles  should  never  be  used  to  make 
salutes. 

The  salute  to  yachts  entering  port, 
entitled  to  a  salute,  should  be  made  by 
dipping  the  ensign  once,  or  by  firing  a 
gun  when  they  let  go  anchor. 

An  official  salute  to  a  foreign  club 
should  be  made  by  firing  a  gun,  with 
the  flag  of  the  foreign  club  at  the  fore  on 
schooners  and  steamers  and  at  the  main 
on  single-masted  vessels,  or,  in  the  ab- 
sence of  such  flag,  by  half-masting  the 
club  flag  and  firing  a  gun.  When  the 
salute  has  been  returned,  or  a  reason- 
able time  for  its  return  allowed,  the  flag 


268  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

should  be  hauled  down  and  the  club 
flag-  hoisted  again. 

The  salute  from  or  to  yachts  arriving 
after  sunset,  or  on  Sunday,  should  be 
made  immediately  after  colors  on  the 
following  morning. 

When  a  flag  officer  makes  an  official 
visit,  a  gun  should  be  fired,  with  his  pen- 
nant at  the  fore  on  schooners  and  steam- 
ers, and  at  the  main  on  single-masted 
vessels,  while  he  remains  on  board. 

A  yacht,  acting  as  judges'  boat,  should 
not  be  saluted  during  a  race. 

The  quarter-deck  should  always  be 
saluted  by  lifting  the  cap  on  coming  on 
board  or  from  below. 

Yachts  should  report  to  the  command- 
ing officer  on  joining  the  squadron,  and 
should  obtain  his  permission  before  leav- 
ing it. 

When  under  way  with  the  squadron, 
firing  guns  and  signaling  should  be 
avoided,  except  when  joining  or  parting 
company,  or  when  repeating  signals. 

When  squadrons  of  different  clubs 
meet  at  sea,  salutes  should  be  exchanged 
only  by  the  commanding  officers. 

Salutes  from  single  yachts  at  sea 
should  only  be  answered  by  the  flagship. 

Single-masted  vessels  should  fly  the 
private  signal  of  the  owner  when  under 
way  with  the  squadron;  when  at  anchor, 
the  club  flag. 

When  a  foreign  yacht  arrives,  the 
senior  officer  present  should  send  on 
board,  without  regard  to  rank,  a  tender 
of  the  civilities  of  the  club. 


The  Etiquette  of  Yachting.      269 

Yachts  should  salute  on  entering  port 
in  the  home  waters  of  a  foreign  club, 
where  any  of  its  fleet  are  lying.  After 
the  tender  of  civilities  has  been  made, 
owners  of  the  entering  yachts  should 
visit  the  officer  in  command  of  the  an- 
chorage. All  other  visits  should  be 
made  according  to  rank,  visits  to  their 
equals  in  rank  being  made  by  the  own- 
ers of  the  entering  yachts. 

The  time  for  colors  in  the  home  waters 
of  a  foreign  club  should  be  given  with 
its  senior  flag  officer  present. 

The  term  "  foreign  "  should  be  under- 
stood as  applying  to  all  clubs  outside  of 
the  waters  of  the  Gulf  of  Maine. 

Flag  officers  and  the  fleet-captain 
should  fly  their  pennants,  and  captains 
their  private  signals,  when  in  their 
boats  ;  members,  the  club  flag.  After 
sunset  a  white  light  should  be  shown  at 
the  bow. 

Passing  one  another,  juniors  should 
salute  seniors  by  raising  the  cap. 

Following  are  the  words  of  com- 
mand used  in  the  handling  of  rowing 
boats  : 

Give  Way. — To  begin  rowing. 
Hold   Water. — To  stop  the  boat's  prog- 
ress by  keeping   the  blades  of  the 
oars  in  the  water  in  a  vertical  posi- 
tion, and  at  right  angles  to  the  keel. 
In  Bow. — To  cease  pulling  the  bow  oar 
and   to   lay   it   down    fore    and    aft 
within  the  boat,  the  blade  forward. 
Let  Fall. — To  let  the  oars  drop  from  the 
vertical  to  the  horizontal,  the  loom 


270  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

resting-  in  the  rowlock,  the  blade 
held  out  of  the  water  and  hori- 
zontal, the  oar  itself  at  right  angles 
to  the  keel. 

Oars. — To  cease  rowing,  and  to  main- 
tain the  oars  in  the  same  position 
that  they  are  in  after  executing  the 
order  "  Let  Fall." 

Ship  Oars. — To  lift  trailing  oars  out  of 
the  water  alongside  and  hold  them 
as  described  for  "  Let  Fall." 

Shove  Off. — To  force  the  boat  away 
trom  a  vessel's  side  or  from  a  wharf 
or  float. 

Stern  All. — To  row  the  boat  backwards 
—the  opposite  to  "  Give  Way." 

Toss. — To  lift  the  oars  out  of  the  water 
and  lay  them  down  within  the  boat, 
fore  and  aft,  the  blades  forward. 

Trail. — To  throw  trailing  oars  out  of  the 
rowlock  and  allow  them  to  trail 
alongside  by  their  lanyards. 

Up  Oars. — To  raise  the  oars  to  the  verti- 
cal, the  blades  kept  fore  and  aft — a 
preface  to  the  order  "  Let  Fall." 

\V ay  Enough. — To  cease  rowing,  and  to 

lift  the   oars  out  of  the  water  and 

boat  them,  at  the  coxsuain's  word, 

"  Toss." 

When  visiting  a  yacht  at  anchor,  steer 

for  the  starboard  gangway.     The  port 

gangway  is  the  "back  door"  of  a  yacht 

and  is  reserved  for  sailors,  stewards,  etc. 
When  boarding  a  yacht  under  way,  or 

hove  to,  go  to  the  lee  side,  no   matter 

whether  port  or  starboard. 

Don't  forget  to  "salute  the  quarter- 


The  Etiquette  of  Yachting.      271 

deck  "  on  reaching  it  by  touching  your 
cap  in  naval  style. 

As  soon  as  you  get  aboard  pay  your 
respects  to  the  owner.  If  you  don't  see 
him  on  deck  send  your  card  to  him  im- 
mediately. 

A  young  yachtsman,  when  about  to 
embark  in  a  boat  from  a  yacht,  should 
go  over  the  side  first  and  should  take  a 
modest  seat.  The  owner  of  the  yacht 
is  last  to  leave  and  takes  the  post  of 
honor  at  the  tiller  lines. 

When  disembarking  at  a  landing,  re- 
turning to  the  yacht,  or  going  aboard 
another  vessel,  the  owner  leaves  the 
boat  first,  the  modest  youngster  last. 


§*!'_:  • .  .^-••».V-: 

Photo  by  R.  B.  Burchard. 

DEFENDER 


-STERN. 


X. 
YACHTING   INSURANCE.* 

ALSO    A    FEW    LEGAL    WRINKLES    ON    THE    STATUS 
AND    RELATION    OF    OWNER   TO    CREW. 

UNDERWRITERS,  as  a  rule,  seem 
not  particularly  anxious  to  run 
foot-races  after  the  owners  of 
small  yachts  who  navigate  their 
own  craft.  For  some  reason  or  other 
the  amateur  skipper  is  looked  upon  by 
them  with  suspicion  and  disfavor.  Why, 
I  do  not  know,  for  considering  the  im- 
mense number  of  pleasure  craft  in 
commission  every  year  the  ratio  of  loss 
through  wreck,  collision,  or  fire  is  re- 
markably low.  I  think,  if  underwriters 
took  this  circumstance  into  considera- 
tion, they  would  find  it  in  their  interest 
to  offer  more  attractive  inducements  to 
owners  of  yachts  to  insure  their  floating 
property. 

The  vast  number  of  pleasure  craft  in 
commission  on  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific 
seaboards,  on  our  great  fresh-water 
lakes,  and  on  the  large  sheets  of  water 
that,  like  the  Great  South  Bay,  are  di- 
vided from  the  ocean  proper  by  a  strip 

*  The  author  is  indebted  to  an  eminent  marine  jurist 
(commonly  known  as  a  sea  lawyer,)  for  all  the  in- 
formation contained  in  this  chapter. 


Yachting  Insurance.  273 

of  sand,  more  or  less  narrow,  should  I 
think  excite  interest  in  marine  under- 
writers, and  induce  them  to  offer  at- 
tractive terms  to  yacht  owners. 

The  most  dangerous  fire  risk  in  New 
York  or  any  other  great  city  is  eagerly 
sought  for  by  the  lynx-eyed  agents  of 
insurance  companies.  No  tenement  is 
too  flimsy ;  no  habitation  exposed  to 
the  accident  of  a  mouse  and  a  nest  of 
matches  is  too  perilous  for  the  competi- 
tion wallahs  of  the  gigantic  corpora- 
tions. 

Bearing  this  in  mind  the  owners  of 
small  craft  have  frequently  tried,  in  the 
lack  of  aid  from  the  large  companies,  to 
start  a  co-operative  scheme  of  their 
own,  but  because  of  the  want  of  an  en- 
terprising and  intelligent  organizer  the 
project  has  always  fallen  through. 

Early  in  the  present  year  I  was  asked 
by  a  friend  of  mine  to  try  to  get  a 
policy  of  marine  insurance  on  a  35-foot 
yacht  which  is  worth  at  least  $4,000  as 
she  floats — lead  keel  and  all  the  latest 
improvements.  I  had  the  greatest  dif- 
ficulty in  effecting  the  deal.  As  a  mat 
ter  of  fact  no  insurance  company  jumped 
out  of  its  shoes  with  alacrity  to  accept 
the  risk.  Had  it  been  some  ramshackle 
old  schooner,  rotten  in  hull,  deficient  in 
sails  and  rigging,  and  manned  by  a 
scanty  crew,  I  was  told  there  would  be 
little  or  no  trouble  in  consummating  the 
transaction.  Pleasure  vessels'  are  viewed 
with  suspicion  that  they  do  not  deserve. 
I  allude  principally  to  the  smaller 


274  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

classes  of  craft,  which  underwriters 
steer  clear  of  as  though  they  were  af- 
fected by  a  hoodoo  worse  than  that  of 
Friday  and  the  thirteenth  day  of  the 
month. 

Marine  insurance,  so  far  as  applicable 
to  yachts,  seems  to  be  in  a  mixed  and 
muddled  condition.  The  owner  of  a 
steam  yacht,  commanded  by  a  duly  qual- 
ified master,  and  with  the  machinery  in 
charge  of  a  licensed  engineer,  has  no 
difficulty  in  insuring  his  vessel  at  ordi- 
nary rates.  As  the  risk  is,  generally 
speaking,  not  so  hazardous  as  that  of 
ships  engaged  in  freight-carrying  both 
summer  and  winter,  underwriters,  as  a 
rule,  give  steam-yacht  owners  quite 
favorable  terms,  provided  the  yacht  is 
seaworthy  and  well-found.  A  large, 
steel,  steam  yacht  run  under  the  fore- 
going conditions  was  insured  up  to  her 
real  value  at  a  premium  of  three  per 
cent,  against  losses  by  fire,  collision,  or 
the  perils  of  the  sea,  the  risk  being  di- 
vided pro  rata  on  the  vessel's  hull, 
tackle,  apparel  and  furniture,  and  the 
machinery  and  boilers. 

The  policy,  in  this  instance,  protected 
the  yacht  against  the  "perils  of  the  seas, 
men-of-war,  fire,  enemies,  pirates,  rov- 
ers, thieves,  jettisons,  letters  of  marque 
and  countermarque,  surprisals,  takings 
at  sea,  arrests,  restraints,  and  detain  - 
ment  of  all  kings,  princes  and  people,  of 
what  nations,  condition, or  qualitysoever, 
barratry  of  the  master  and  mariners,  and 
all  other  perils,  losses  and  misfortunes 


Vachting  Insurance.  275 

that  have  or  shall  come  to  the  hurt, 
detriment  or  damage  of  the  said  ship, 
etc.,  or  any  part  thereof.  And  in  case 
of  any  loss  or  misfortune  it  shall  be  law- 
ful for  the  assured,  their  factors,  ser- 
vants and  assigns,  to  sue,  labor  and  trav- 
el for,  in  and  about  the  defence,  safe- 
guard and  recovery  of  the  said  ship,  etc., 
or  any  part  thereof,  without  prejudice 
to  this  insurance  ;  to  the  charges  where- 
of the  said  insurance  company  will  con- 
tribute according  to  the  rate  and  quan- 
tity of  the  sum  herein  assured. 

"  Each  voyage  to  be  subject  to  gen- 
eral average,  particular  average  to  be 
payable  on  each  valuation  separately  or 
on  the  whole,  if  amounting  to  three  per 
cent.,  or  the  vessel  be  stranded,  sunk, 
burnt,  on  fire,  or  in  collision.  With  leave 
to  sail  with  or  without  pilots,  to  tow  and 
to  be  towed,  and  to  assist  vessels  and/or 
craft  in  all  situations  and  to  any  extent, 
to  render  salvage  services,  and  to  go  on 
trial  trips.  With  leave  to  dock,  undock, 
and  change  docks  as  often  as  may  be 
required,  and  to  go  on  slipway,  grid- 
iron and/or  pontoon,  and/or  to  adjust 
compasses,  including  the  risk  of  launch- 
ing. 

"  In  case  of  any  claim  for  average  the 
repairs  to  be  paid  without  deduction  of 
one- third,  whether  the  average  be  par- 
ticular or  general. 

"  General  average  and  salvage  charges 
as  per  foreign  custom,  payable  as  per 
foreign  statement,  and/or  per  York- 
Antwerp  rules,  if  required  ;  and  in  the 


276  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

event  of  salvage,  towage  or  other  as- 
sistance being  rendered  to  the  vessel 
hereby  insured,  by  any  vessel  belonging 
in  part  or  in  whole  to  the  same  owners, 
it  is  hereby  agreed  that  the  value  of 
such  services  (without  regard  to  the 
common  ownership  of  the  vessels)  shall 
be  ascertained  by  arbitration  in  the 
manner  hereinafter  provided  for  under 
the  collision  clause,  and  the  amount  so 
awarded,  so  far  as  applicable  to  the  in- 
terest hereby  insured,  shall  constitute  a 
charge  under  this  policy. 

"  And  it  is  further  agreed,  that  if  the 
ship  hereby  insured  shall  come  into  col- 
lision with  any  other  ship  or  vessel,  and 
the  assured  shall  in  consequence  thereof 
become  liable  to  pay,  and  shall  pay,  by 
way  of  damages  to  any  other  person  or 
persons,  any  sum  or  sums  not  exceeding 
in  respect  of  any  one  such  collision  the 
value  of  the  ship  hereby  insured,  we,  the 
assurers,  will  pay  the  assured  such  pro- 
portion of  three-fourths  of  such  sum  or 
sums  so  paid  as  our  subscriptions  hereto 
bear  to  the  value  of  the  ship  hereby  in- 
sured. And  in  cases  where  the  liability 
of  the  ship  has  been  contested,  with  the 
consent,  in  writing,  of  a  majority  of  the 
underwriters  on  the  hull  and/or  ma- 
chinery (in  amount),  we  will  also  pay  a 
like  proportion  of  three-fourths  part  of 
the  costs  thereby  incurred  or  paid  ;  but 
when  both  vessels  are  to  blame,  then, 
unless  the  liability  of  the  owners  of  one 
or  both  of  such  vessels  becomes  limited 
by  law,  claims  under  the  collision  clause 


Yachting  Insurance.  277 

shall  be  settled  on  the  principle  of  cross 
liabilities  as  if  the  owners  of  each  ves- 
sel had  been  compelled  to  pay  to  the 
owners  of  the  other  of  such  vessels  such 
one-half  or  other  proportion  of  the  lat- 
ter's  damages  as  may  have  been  properly 
allowed  in  ascertaining  the  balance  or 
sum  payable  by  or  to  the  assured  in  con- 
sequence of  such  collision  ;  and  it  is 
further  agreed  that  the  principles  in- 
volved in  this  clause  shall  apply  to  the 
case  where  both  vessels  are  the  proper- 
ty, in  part  or  in  whole,  of  the  same 
owners,  all  questions  of  responsibility 
and  amount  of  liability  as  between  the 
two  ships,  being  left  to  the  decision  of 
a  single  arbitrator,  if  the  parties  can 
agree  upon  a  single  arbitrator,  or  failing 
such  agreement,  to  the  decision  of  arbi- 
trators, one  to  be  appointed  by  the  man- 
aging owners  of  both  vessels,  and  one 
to  be  appointed  by  the  majority  in 
amount  of  underwriters  interested  in 
each  vessel  ;  the  two  arbitrators  chosen 
to  choose  a  third  arbitrator  before  en- 
tering upon  the  reference,  and  the  de- 
cision of  such  single,  or  of  any  two  of 
such  three  arbitrators,  appointed  as 
above,  to  be  final  and  binding. 

"  This  insurance  also  specially  to  cov- 
er loss  of  and/or  damage  to  hull  or  ma- 
chinery through  the  negligence  of  mas- 
ter, mariners,  engineers,  or  pilots,  or 
through  explosions,  bursting  of  boilers, 
breakage  of  shafts,  or  through  any  lat- 
ent defect  in  the  machinery  or  hull, 
provided  such  loss  or  damage  has  not 


278  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

resulted  from  want  of  due  diligence  by 
the  manager." 

By  the  terms  of  the  above  policy  no 
damage  under  $100  could  be  collected. 

Another  clause  allowed  the  yacht  to 
touch  and  stay  at  any  ports  or  places, 
and  for  any  and  all  purposes. 

Another  clause  made  the  liability 
cover  the  hulls,  spars,  sails,  boats,  etc. 

Yet  another  clause  provided  that  a 
fixed  sum  should  be  returned  for  every 
fifteen  days  canceled  and  for  a  like 
number  of  days  laid  up  dismantling, 
overhauling,  repairing,  etc.  This,  as 
the  intelligent  reader  will  see,  is  to  guard 
against  an  usurious  interest  when  the 
yacht  is  not  exposed  to  the  perils  of  cor- 
sairs or  rovers  on  the  deep  green  sea. 

The  collision  clause  generally  pro- 
vides that  although  the  yacht  insured 
may  be  in  fault  the  underwriters  must 
pay  up  to  three-fourths  of  the  value  of 
the  policy  toward  the  repair  of  the 
damaged  vessel  or  the  general  repairs. 
For  example,  a  yacht  insured  for  $5,000 
runs  into  another  craft  and  damages 
her  to  the  extent  of  $4,000.  In  that  event 
the  underwriters  are  responsible  to  the 
extent  of  $3,750. 

What  is  called  the  "  racing  clause"  is 
sometimes  added,  which  makes  the  un- 
derwriters liable  for  total  or  other  loss 
while  the  yacht  is  in  the  act  of  racing. 

A  policy  for  $1,250  covering  five 
months  should  cost  no  more  than  ten 
per  cent,  if  the  yacht  is  in  good  con- 
dition. Rates  vary  on  laymg-up  policies 


Vachting  Insurance.  279 

covering  risks  from  fire,  falling  over, 
etc.,  while  the  craft  is  out  of  commis- 
sion. 

A  yacht  should  be  insured  for  her  full 
value.  If  insured  for  less  the  ratio 
which  that  amount  bears  to  the  true 
value  will  be  deducted  from  the  amount 
given  as  compensation  for  damages. 
Here  is  an  English  case  in  point.  A 
man  insured  a  boat  for  ^200,  her  true 
value,  as  declared  by  him  to  Lloyd's 
agent  at  the  time,  being  ,£250.  She  suf- 
fered damages  in  a  blow.  The  owner 
agreed  to  accept  ^25  for  compensation. 
He  was  tendered  ^20,  the  explanation 
being  that  he  had  undertaken  a  fifth 
part  of  the  risk  on  the  craft  himself,  in- 
asmuch as  he  had  insured  the  boat  for 
^50  less  than  her  real  value  ;  also  that 
as  he  had  agreed  upon  ^25  as  com- 
pensation for  the  damage  sustained,  the 
underwriters  could  only  be  called  upon 
to  pay  £20.  An  appeal  to  the  courts 
resulted  in  a  judgment  for  the  under- 
writers. 

It  may  be  mentioned  that  English 
companies  do  the  bulk  of  marine  in- 
surance, ^nd  that  the  law  with  regard  to 
it  is  practically  the  same  in  the  British 
Islands  and  this  country. 

After  mentioning  all  the  dangers  that 
may  cause  total  loss,  which  is  fully  in- 
sured against,  the  policy  states  that 
where  only  partial  damage  is  sustained 
the  underwriters  will  pay  an  average 
for  the  repair  of  such  damage  at  the 
rate  of  3  per  cent. 


280  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

The  $100  clause  is  advantageous  to 
the  owner  of  a  large  yacht,  for  any 
damage  that  the  craft  might  meet  with 
while  at  sea,  whether  in  the  nature  of 
collision,  or  carrying  away  of  gear  by 
stress  of  weather,  would  be  more  likely 
to  exceed  than  come  within  the  $100 
limit.  With  small  craft  it  is  different. 
It  would  be  a  rather  severe  accident 
that  would  necessitate  $100  worth  of 
repairs.  Some  companies,  realizing  the 
injustice  of  this  $100  clause,  have 
lowered  the  amount  to  $50,  but  for  this 
a  slightly  increased  premium  is  de- 
manded. I  would  advise  all  insurers  of 
small  boats  to  insist  upon  the  $50  clause. 

When  taking  out  a  policy  on  a  sailing 
yacht,  whether  for  coasting  or  deep- 
water  cruising,  no  stipulation  is  made 
as  to  the  sailing  master  being  provided 
with  a  license.  In  fact,  the  law  does 
not  make  it  obligatory  for  the  com- 
mander of  a  sailing  yacht  to  pass  any 
examination  whatever  ;  but  the  skipper 
of  a  steam  yacht,  like  the  engineer,  must 
pass  the  regular  examination  and  be 
provided  with  a  license.  The  reason 
for  this  does  not  seem  quite  clear  to  the 
layman. 

The  owner  of  a  yacht,  if  he  acts  as 
his  own  skipper  and  engages  the  crew 
himself,  has  all  the  autocratic  power  of 
a  master  in  the  merchant  marine.  He 
can  quell  a  mutiny  with  the  pistol,  clap 
a  refractory  "  shell-back  "  into  irons,  and 
maintain  stern  discipline  afloat.  But 
happily  the  yachtsman  is  never  called 


Yachting  Insurance. 


281 


upon  to  exercise  any  severe  measures 
such  as  those  mentioned.  If,  however, 
the  occasion  called  for  the  exercise  of 
stringency  the  law  would  protect  the 
yacht  owner. 

If  a  sailor  is  discharged  for  miscon- 
duct he  forfeits  the  outfit  provided  for 
him  by  the  owner.  Few  yachtsmen, 
however,  insist  upon  this,  and  the  dis- 
charged seaman  is  allowed  to  take  his 
"  dunnage  "  ashore  with  him,  but  the 
outfit  is  legally  the  property  of  the 
owner. 


XI. 
THE  COST  OF   YACHTING. 

CAUTIONARY     AND    ECONOMICAL     HINTS     TO    TYROS 
ABOUT    TO    EMBARK    IN    THE    SPORT. 

IN  a  witty  essay  Mr.  \V.  L.  Alden, 
author  of  "  The  Canoe  and  the  Fly- 
ing Proa,"  points  out  that  the  most 
reckless  woman  is  vastly  inferior  in 
wild  extravagance  to  the  ordinary  yacht 
whose  owner  has  enrolled  her  in  a  yacht 
club.  It  is  with  yachts  as  it  is  with 
women,  he  argues.  A  man  who  pro- 
vides himself  with  a  pretty  .wife, 
equipped  with  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
clothes,  might  keep  her  very  cheaply  if 
he  did  not  permit  her  to  go  into  society, 
which  Mr.  Alden  conceives  is  about  the 
same  as  introducing  a  yacht  to  the  so- 
ciety of  other  fashionable  yachts.  He 
declares  that  when  the  once  modest 
schooner  or  bashful  sloop  has  once 
tasted  the  pleasures  of  a  regatta,  she 
proceeds  to  lavish  her  owner's  fortune 
with  frightful  recklessness.  During  the 
racing  season  she  splits  her  sails  as 
though  they  were  lace  flounces,  and 
sheds  topmasts  and  booms  as  though 
they  were  hairpins.  At  the  close  of  the 
season  he  has  to  call  in  the  aid  of  the 
shipbuilding  profession,  and  to  lavish 


The  Cost  of  Yachting.          283 

upon  her  costly  tonics  of  hemp  and  iron 
and  other  expensive  remedies  pre- 
scribed by  skillful  yachting  specialists. 

When  spring  returns  she  is  not  satis- 
fied with  the  position  of  her  masts  ;  she 
insists  upon  being  provided  with  a  new 
and  more  graceful  stern  and  a  com- 
plete wardrobe  of  new  sails  and  signals. 
After  these  are  supplied  she  declines  to 
race  unless  her  bow  is  lengthened  ten 
or  fifteen  feet.  Next,  she  finds  fault 
with  her  figure  and  wants  to  be  given 
more  breadth  of  beam.  Mr.  AMen 
thinks  that  the  owner  of  such  a  craft 
ought  to  have  an  independent  fortune, 
or  at  least  be  counsel  for  an  insolvent 
railroad.  A  yacht  that  squanders  money 
like  water  all  summer,  undergoes  elabor- 
ate repairs  in  the  fall,  and  is  completely 
remodeled  every  spring,  is  infinitely 
more  extravagant  than  any  woman  who 
ever  wore  jzmo  shoes  or  microscopic 
gloves.  Mr.  Alden  concludes  that  the 
only  way  to  be  a  happy  yachtsman  is  to 
buy  a  slow  and  plain-looking  yacht  that 
rarely  cares  to  go  into  society  and  care- 
fully shuns  the  giddy  regatta. 

There  is  much  solid  substance  in  the 
above,  though  at  first  sight  it  may  ap- 
pear to  be  somewhat  fantastic.  Unless 
an  owner  takes  a  personal  interest  in 
his  yacht  she  is  bound  to  prove  a  very 
costly  luxury.  If  he  gives  carte  blancJie 
to  every  Tom,  Dick  and  Harry  that  has 
to  do  with  her  he  will  be  amazed  at  the 
extent  of  the  bills.  The  most  expensive 
luxuries  in  the  world  are  said  to  be 


284  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

racing  stables  and  theatres  run  for  the 
pleasure  of  rich  men  without  business 
instincts.  A  large  racing  yacht  con- 
ducted on  the  same  extravagant  and 
reckless  basis  might  well  hold  the  third 
place  in  the  list. 

A  prudent  man,  before  investing  in  a 
yacht,  will  make  inquiries  as  to  the  prob- 
able expense  likely  to  be  incurred,  and 
will  cut  his  coat  according  to  his  cloth. 
In  this  he  will  act  as  a  sensible  man 
making  any  other  investment.  Before 
purchasing  a  cottage  at  Newport,  a 
person  of  average  intelligence  calcu- 
lates the  cost,  and  decides  whether  it  is 
within  his  power  to  afford  such  a  luxury. 
He  doesn't  rush  at  it  blindly  like  a  bull 
at  a  gate.  Most  of  our  racing  yachts- 
men have  begun  when  mere  boys, 
generally  with  small  craft,  and  have 
gradually  worked  their  way  upward 
tentatively,  as  it  were,  until  they  have 
owned  the  largest  type  of  vessel.  Take 
Mr.  J.  Rogers  Maxwell,  a  representative 
yachtsman,  as  an  instance.  He  com- 
menced his  yachting  career  with  a 
mere  cockleshell  of  a  craft  some  fifteen 
feet  long.  He  has  ascended  by  easy 
stages,  and  knows  the  cost  of  building 
and  running  all  kinds  of  pleasure  craft. 
The  result  of  his  varied  experience 
would  be  valuable  indeed,  for  he  has 
had  a  hand  in  the  design  of  every  craft 
that  has  carried  his  private  signal. 

The  life  of  the  yacht  owner,  of  course, 
is  not  all  rose-colored.  There  is  an 
occasional  dash  of  bitterness  in  his  daily 


The  Cost  of  Yachting.  285 

draught.  It  is  possible  for  him  to  hire 
a  sailing-master  who  knows  his  busi- 
ness, to  engage  a  temperance  crew,  and 
even  to  secure  the  services  of  a  steward 
who  is  honest  to  the  core.  But  there  is 
ever  present  with  him,  from  the  morn- 
ing he  goes  into  commission  in  the 
spring  until  the  chilly  afternoon  in  the 
autumn  when  he  hauls  into  winter 
quarters,  the  Yachting  Parasite. 

The  yacht  owner  soon  becomes  pain- 
fully aware  of  the  existence  of  this  ex- 
crescence. Whenever  a  camel  falls  down 
exhausted  on  the  sands  of  the  desert,  a 
vulture  is  sure  to  await  him  with  raven- 
ous appetite  and  murderous  beak  and 
talons.  So,  too,  wherever  a  yacht  owner 
touches,  he  is  always  sure  to  be  beset  by 
some  flattering  knave  eager  for  an  in- 
vitation, and  longing  to  stretch  his  legs 
under  the  cabin  table  and  partake  of  its 
hospitable  fare. 

This  is  the  fellow  to  steer  clear  of,  for 
if  he  once  manages  to  get  himself  do- 
mesticated he  becomes  like  a  tame  cat 
He  will  flirt  with  the  ladies  aboard,  if 
they  are  so  foolish  as  to  permit  it  ;  he 
will  rook  your  son  at  cards  ;  he  will  call 
for  and  drink  your  choicest  vintages, 
and  smoke  your  most  fragrant  weeds; 
and  all  this  with  an  insolent  air  of  pro- 
prietorship galling  in  the  extreme.  The 
only  way  to  rid  yourself  of  his  presence 
is  to  burn  the  yacht,  or  to  lash  a  couple 
of  cannon  balls  to  his  legs  and  make 
him  walk  the  plank.  He  is  above  tak- 
ing even  a  broad  hint  to  depart. 


286  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

The  Yachting  Parasite  has  an  abun- 
dant feeding  ground  in  America.  Some 
of  our  yacht  owners  are  marvelously 
susceptible  to  flattery.  The  Parasite  is 
wide  awake  to  this  weakness  and  avails 
himself  of  it.  He  secures  a  season's 
free  board  amid  luxurious  surroundings. 
He  lives  on  the  fat  of  the  land,  and 
the  yacht  owner  hasn't  moral  courage 
enough  to  kick  him  ashore.  On  the  con- 
trary, he  seems  to  enjoy  his  sugary 
speeches.  The  Parasite  is  found  under 
every  flag,  our  American  variety  being 
naturally  jealous  of  any  foreign  rival. 
Particularly  objectionable  to  him  is  the 
English  or  Irish  interloper  with  parasit- 
ical designs  on  what  he  regards  as  his 
own  rightful  prey.  The  successful  Para- 
site thus  lives  a  pleasant  life  during  the 
yachting  season.  He  has  more  fun  than 
the  owner,  and  neither  expense  nor  re- 
sponsibility. He  sometimes  is  fortunate 
enough  to  be  retained  in  his  master's 
household  all  winter.  His  fawnings 
have  become  indispensable  to  his  pa- 
tron's comfort.  A  queer  creature,  truly, 
but  he  is  one  of  our  recognized  yacht- 
ing "  institutions."  Guard  against  him, 
my  brethren  ;  never  let  him  play  the 
part  of  Old  Man  of  the  Sea  to  your 
Sindbad  the  Sailor.  He  is  too  unwhole- 
some and  expensive  a  luxury  for  you, 
and  it  is  about  time  that  he  is  abol 
ished. 

In  times  of  serious  financial  depres- 
sion, when  a  cold  wave  of  economy  per- 
meates the  land,  owners  of  lar^e  schoon- 


The  Cost  of  Yachting.          287 

ers  need  be  at  no  loss  for  substantial 
reasons  for  tardiness  in  fitting  out. 

These  spacious  craft  are  expensive  to 
run.  They  are  great  gobblers  up  of 
greenbacks,  their  voracity  being  inca- 
pable of  appeasement.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  yachtsmen  fall  an  easy  prey  to 
land-sharks  disguised  as  ship-chandlers 
and  merchants  who  cater  to  the  needs 
of  those  who  take  their  pleasure  afloat. 

Monster  steam  vessels  and  unwieldy 
schooners  soon  reduce  the  balance  at 
the  bank  unless  their  owners  bring  to 
bear  on  the  situation  the  same  business 
shrewdness  that  dominates  their  offices 
in  Wall  street,  where  every  little  bill  is 
audited  with  lynx-eyed  subtleness,  and 
the  salary  list,  from  the  cashier  to  the 
three-dollar-a-week  office  boy,  is  scru- 
tinized with  economical  care  every 
week  in  the  hope  of  cutting  down  ex- 
penses by  reducing  the  working  staff. 

My  heart  goes  out  to  the  man  who 
cultivates  yacht  racing  not  for  ostenta- 
tious and  vulgar  display,  but  from  an  in- 
nate and  hearty  love  of  the  sport  If  I 
can  give  him  a  few  hints  on  the  way  of 
saving  a  dollar  or  two  of  his  modest 
store,  I  shall  only  be  too  delighted. 

The  carrying  of  large  crews  is  obliga- 
tory in  racing  yachts  but  is  by  no  means 
requisite.  In  another  chapter  I  have 
mentioned  the  small  number  of  men 
carried  on  the  America  and  Sappho  in 
their  voyages  across  the  ocean.  In  the 
Atlantic  race  of  December,  1866,  in 
which  Henrietta,  Vesta  and  Fleetivtng 


288  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

took  part,  each  yacht  carried  a  comple- 
ment of  four  officers  and  twenty-two 
men.  This  was  a  large  ship's  company 
for  a  200- ton  schooner,  but  the  season 
was  winter  and  the  stakes  $90,000,  so  no 
risk  was  taken.  The  centerboard  schoon- 
er Montank,  in  her  voyage  to  the  West 
Indies  in  1884,  carried  a  sailing-master 
and  a  crew  of  thirteen.  The  Athlon,  a 
6o-foot  sloop,  is  worked  by  a  skipper,two 
men  before  the  mast  and  a  steward. 
Captain  Henry  Andruss  of  the  Sasqua, 
a  smart  35 -footer,  carries  only  one  paid 
hand,  but  then  Andruss  is  a  host  in  him- 
self and  his  son  makes  his  weight  felt 
when  he  tails  on  to  the  mainsheet. 

That  this  question  is  considered  of  im- 
portance in  England  is  evident  from  the 
following  editorial  which  I  transcribe 
from  the  Yachtsman  : 

"One  of  the  best  features  in  the  early 
life  of  British  yachting  was  that  the 
vessels  then  engaged  in  racing  did  not 
depend  so  much  as  in  these  days  on 
professional  aid  for  smartness  and  sea- 
manship. We  may  smile  at  times  when 
we  read  the  accounts  of  races  sailed  fifty 
years  ago,  and  at  the  yarns  of  'the  vet- 
eran '  anent  '  the  good  old  days,'  etc. ;  but 
there  cannot  be  a  doubt  that  yacht  rac- 
ing has  since  then  drifted  too  much  into 
professional  hands,  and  whilst  we  have 
learned  (small  credit  to  us)  to  look  for 
greater  smartness  in  the  handling  of  our 
racing  yachts,  we  must  not  ignore  the 
fact  that  we  pay  for  it  right  royally.  In 
proportion  to  the  number  of  racing 


Tlie  Cost  of  Yachting.  289 

yachts  now  afloat  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  good  amateur  sailors  are  lamentably 
fewer  than  they  were  even  twenty  years 
ago. 

"  If  in  the  wisdom  of  the  Y.  R.  A.  it 
should  be  so  decided  that  paid  hands 
shall  be  limited  in  number  for  each  class, 
the  change  should  be  hailed  with  joy, 
and  to  lessen  the  sorrow  of  the  grumbler 
it  may  be  pointed  out  that  the  smallest 
number  likely  to  be  assigned  in  every 
case  would  be  far  in  excess  of  what  our 
forefathers  would  have  dreamed  of.  The 
cost  of  crews  is  enormous  nowadays,  not 
only  from  their  numbers,  but  from  the 
excessive  remuneration  for  their  ser- 
vices. This  is  a  matter,  indeed,  which 
cannot  be  regulated  in  any  feasible  way 
that  we  know  of,  and  therefore  a  limita- 
tion in  the  number  of  paid  hands  is  the 
more  desirable.  To  compare  the  wages, 
or  '  salaries,'  of  to-day  with  those  of  past 
times,  we  may  mention  that  when  the 
old  Clyde  clipper  Clarence  was  in  her 
prime  (about  60  or  65  )'ears  ago)  her 
sailing  master  received  £i  per  week, 
and  her  ordinary  hands  ibs.  They  had 
no  outfits  given  them,  and  they  were 
grateful  for  a  glass  cf  grog  to  celebrate 
the  winning  of  a  prize.  This  was  a  typi- 
cal case  until  the  early  fifties,  \vhen  the 
scale  of  wages  seems  to  have  gone  up. 
In  the  Stella  and  Cymba  days,  sailing- 
masters  of  renown  got  £\  5$.  per  week, 
and  the  men  ^T,  and  then  outfits  and 
prize-money  firstbegantoappear,  though 
on  a  very  small  scale.  McKirdy,  skipper 


290  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

of  the  Cymba,  was  the  first  sailing-mas- 
ter, so  far  as  \ve  know,  who  received  a 
yearly  salary. 

"  Those  were  '  the  good  old  days,' 
however,  and  in  nothing  have  they  gone 
beyond  recall  more  than  in  the  lowness 
of  wages.  That  they  are  now  beyond 
recall  may  easily  be  believed  by  all 
yacht  owners,  and,  therefore,  these 
should  hail  with  gladness  any  scheme 
likely  to  stop  one  or  two  of  the  many 
leaks  in  their  purses.  Some  of  those 
leaks,  however,  might  well  be  counter- 
acted by  the  clubs  through  the  simple 
expedient  of  increasing  the  amount  of 
their  prizes.  To  offer  the  ao-raters  of 
to-day  the  same  sum  as  was  offered  as  a 
prize  to  the  zo-tonners  of  1870  is  strik- 
ingly absurd." 

In  general  it  may  be  remarked  that  it 
is  wise  to  ship  no  more  cats  than  can 
catch  mice  ;  before  making  repairs  to 
your  vessel  to  procure  estimates  ;  to  buy 
your  stores  and  provisions  in  the  open 
market  and  exercise  judicious  economy 
in  the  running  of  the  yacht. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  aside 
from  the  first  cost  it  takes  very  little 
more  to  run  a  3<>footerthan  a  i5-footer. 
In  the  latter  you  have  no  accommoda- 
tions whatever,  while  a  3o-footer  can  be 
made  quite  a  roomy  little  ship  if  space 
is  judiciously  adapted.  Three  men  can 
handle  a  3o-footer  with  ease,  if  the  fingers 
of  the  men  are  not  all  thumbs. 

Before  buying  a  yacht  see  that  there 
are  no  liens  against  her  for  unpaid  wages 


The  Cost  of  Yachting.          291 

or  stores.  If  she  has  been  libeled  in  the 
Court  of  Admiralty  you  will  probably 
have  to  pay  claim  and  costs.  A  creditor 
can  without  trouble  libel  a  yacht  and  put 
an  officer  in  possession.  Your  only  course 
then  to  pursue,  if  you  dispute  the  claim, 
is  to  give  a  bond  for  the  amount  and 
fight  the  matter  in  the  courts. 

Following  is  the  scale  of  wages  for 
yacht  sailors  now  prevailing  : 

Captains from  $250  to  $5o  per  month 


Mates  

100 

175 

'25 

IOO 

125 

y> 

<  folio1 

Stewa 
Sailor 
Messn 

5° 

90 

85 
60 

5° 
25 

kVS  : 

rd 

Engineers    on 

small 

Stewards  

(  ooks  

Sailors     

The  cost  of 

OlltfitS 

...    $75 

Mate. 

s,  each  35 
jan  35 

Engineer  
Cook... 

..      60 

CO 

The  expense  of  keeping  a  40  footer  de- 
pends much  upon  the  tastes  of  her  owner 
and  whether  used  for  racing  or  cruising. 
Here,  however,  is  an  example.  It  will 
be  noted  that  the  rates  are  lower,  owing 
to  the  size  of  the  craft  : 

Captain $5o  a  month  ;  outfit  $25 

Two  sailors 60  "        25 

Cook ...     50        "  "         20 

Walter 35  18 

The  grub  for  the  crew  would  cost  50 
cents  per  day  per  man. 

Hauling  out  three  times  during  the  season,    $50 
New  mainsail 100 

Racing  money  is  paid  as  follows  in 
large  yachts  when  a  victory  is  scored  : 

Captains  ...  $25  |  Mates  ....  $10  |  Sailors....  $5 

It  is  not  usual  in  this  country  to  pay 
"losing  money." 


XIT. 
THE   LAST   WORD. 

FINAL    HINTS    TO    TARS  WHO  WANT    TO    SAIL  THEIR 
OWN    CRAFT. 

THE  small  cruising  and  racing  yacht 
has   now  become  so  fashionable 
that  a  vast  number  of   recruits 
have   joined    the    already    large 
navy  of  yachting  amateurs.     In   many 
cases  the  owners  of  the  craft  new  last 
season  have  only  a  slight  and  superficial 
knowledge  of  a  boat,   and  will  depend 
on  their  professional  skippers   for  the 
navigating  and  general  management  of 
her.     This  is  as  it  should  be. 

There  are,  however,  certain  matters 
relating  to  the  internal  economy  of  a 
yacht  which  cannot  be  learned  from  the 
average  skipper,  and  this  article  is  de- 
voted to  their  exposition  and  discus- 
sion. The  hints  given  are  practical, 
and  may  possibly  be  of  use  to  men  just 
embarking  in  the  sport,  as  well  as  those 
entering  upon  their  second  season. 

The  owner  of  a  small  racing  yacht 
taking  part  in  the  squadron  cruise  of 
the  New  York  Yacht  Club,  which  some- 
times extends  as  far  as  Bar  Harbor, 
Me.,  should  take  care  that  he  carries 


The  Last   Word.  293 

along  with  him  a  sufficient  "  sea  kit " 
for  all  the  emergencies  of  the  voyage. 
Certain  social  functions  at  Newport,  for 
instance,  will  render  evening  clothes 
necessary,  if  not  indispensable,  to  any 
yachtsman  desiring  to  participate  in  the 
social  gayeties  of  the  Cowes  of  America. 
A  "  claw-hammer "  coat  is  my  pet 
abomination,  and  personally  I  would 
never  "hoodoo"  a  racing  yacht  with 
any  such  luxurious  superfluity.  So 
strong  is  my  antipathy  to  this  garment 
of  civilization  that  my  will  contains  a 
special  clause  forbidding  my  under- 
taker to  attire  me  for  the  grave  in  a  so- 
called  dress  suit,  as  is  sometimes  the 
custom  in  this  country. 

But  I  am  no  prejudiced  churl,  and 
will  willingly  give  the  benefit  of  my  ex- 
perience to  those  who  would  not  "  feel 
at  home  "  after  sundown  unless  clad  in 
the  regulation  society  garb.  Now  a 
dress  suit  to  look  well  must  be  kept  free 
from  damp,  otherwise  it  will  speedily 
mildew.  The  cabin  of  a  little  racer  is 
always  exposed  to  the  danger  of  moist- 
ure, either  in  the  form  of  rain  or  of 
spray.  Sometimes  a  veritable  "  green 
sea"  in  an  unguarded  moment  finds  its 
way  below,  and  then  woe  to  the  nautical 
dandy  who  has  intrusted  his  shore  tog- 
gery to  the  untender  mercies  of  a 
leather  portmanteau  or  dress- suit  case  ! 
No  self-respecting  girl  will  dance  with 
a  young  man  whose  evening  clothes 
have  been  made  unsightly  by  sea  water, 
no  matter  how  scarce  the  dancing 


294  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

species  of  the  genus  homo  may  happen 
to  be. 

To  preserve  "  swell  togs  "  in  spick- 
and-span  condition  the  wise  yachtsman 
will  provide  himself  with  a  metal  uni- 
form case,  airtight  and  waterproof, 
such  as  navy  and  army  officers  use  when 
on  service  in  tropical  climates  where 
humidity  and  cockroaches  play  havoc 
with  unprotected  uniforms.  In  this  case 
the  nautical  dude  may  snugly  stow  his 
dress  suit  and  dancing  shoes,  his 
"biled"  shirts,  collars,  white  ties,  jew- 
elry, and  such  other  trifles  as  he  may 
see  fit,  including  stationery,  postage 
stamps  and  whatever  paper  currency  he 
may  have  with  him.  I  say  stationery 
and  stamps  advisedly,  having  experi- 
enced the  annoyance  of  trying  to  write 
on  paper  damaged  by  spray  and  enve- 
lopes gummed  up  by  heat  and  humidity. 
It  might,  however,  be  well  to  omit  the 
ink  as  an  inmate  of  your  uniform  case, 
as  mishaps  are  rather  more  frequent 
afloat  than  ashore,  and  ink  stains  are 
difficult  to  eradicate  from  collars,  shirts 
and  cuffs.  This  case  may  be  stored 
away  in  the  most  convenient  location 
possible,  and  its  owner  may  rely  on 
finding  its  contents  in  good  condition, 
no  matter  how  severe  the  weather  the 
little  boat  has  encountered. 

The  remainder  of  the  owner's  ward- 
robe maybe  carried  in  a  sailor's  painted 
duck  bag,  or,  if  this  simple  and  inex- 
pensive device  is  not  "  swagger " 
enough,  in  an  india-rubber  bag,  such 


The  Last   Word.  295 

as  may  be  obtained  of  any  dealer  in 
sportsmen's  supplies.  Woolen  under- 
wear is  preferable  to  any  other,  and  as 
it  can  now  be  had  in  the  lightest  weights, 
the  old  objection  of  heaviness  and  too 
much  warmth  has  lost  its  significance. 
Serge  and  flannel  clothes  are  best  suited 
for  ordinary  wear  at  sea,  and  flannel 
pajamas  will  also  be  found  more  service- 
able and  comfortable  than  those  of  any 
other  material.  Woolen  socks  and  blue, 
hand-knitted  guernseys  are  also  to  be 
recommended.  These  few  hints  with 
regard  to  clothing  must  suffice,  as  every 
man  has  his  own  peculiar  ideas  as  to 
the  rigging  and  adorning  of  his  person, 
and  is  slow  to  adopt  any  other  fellow's 
notions  or  follow  advice,  no  matter  how 
kindly  offered. 

Remember  that  it  is  not  safe  to  put 
to  sea  without  a  corkscrew  and  a  can- 
opener.  In  fact,  these  tools  are  so  in- 
dispensable when  on  the  briny  that  they 
should  be  duplicated  or  even  triplicated. 
When  a  thirsty  tar  needs  a  glass  of 
grog,  medicinally  or  as  a  beverage,  it  is 
very  provoking  to  be  told  that  the  cork- 
screw is  mislaid.  An  old  sea-crony  of 
mine  used  to  provide  against  such  con- 
tingencies by  always  carrying,  made  fast 
to  a  lanyard  round  his  neck,  a  sailor's 
knife,  whose  "other  blade  was  a  cork- 
screw," so  he  was  never  at  a  loss  to 
tackle  a  rum  bottle  or  a  sardine  can 
whenever  the  emergency  arose.  Ship- 
mates !  take  an  old  sea  dog's  advice  and 
follow  this  most  excellent  example. 


296  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

Matches  should  be  carried  in  glass 
jars  with  wind  and  water  tight  covers. 
These  are  good  receptacles  also  for  to- 
bacco, either  in  plugs  or  cut.  Cigars, 
too,  may  be  kept  in  them  without  that 
injury  to  their  fragrance  inseparable 
from  their  absorption  of  sea-air,  which 
has  ruined  the  flavor  of  the  finest  of 
Havanas.  If  these  glass  jars  are  cov- 
ered with  canvas  neatly  sewn  on,  they 
will  run  no  risk  of  breakage. 

The  yachtsman  must  use  his  own  dis- 
cretion regarding  medical  supplies.  I 
recommend  essence  of  ginger,  extract 
of  witch  hazel,  absorbent  cotton,  rubber 
sticking-plaster  (which  requires  neither 
heat  nor  moisture  for  its  application) 
rolled  up  in  an  airtight  tin  box,  thread 
and  needles,  muslin  bandages,  a  forceps 
for  extracting  splinters,  vaseline,  seidlitz 
powders  (in  an  airtight  tin),  and  Hors- 
ford's  acid  phosphate  as  among  the  most 
pressing  necessities  to  be  taken  along. 

A  mixture  of  baking  soda  and  vase- 
line in  equal  parts  is  a  most  excellent 
ointment  for  the  cure  of  sunburn.  I 
have  known  a  landlubber's  lily-white 
skin  to  be  so  scarified  by  the  burning 
rays  of  the  sun  as  to  cause  him  excru- 
ciating agony.  An  application  of  the 
mixture  mentioned  above  afforded  him 
quick  relief. 

A  large  stowing  place  for  ice  is  in- 
dispensable to  health  and  comfort  in 
these  latitudes.  If  you  should,  how- 
ever, happen  to  fall  short  of  this  neces- 
sary, it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  a 


The  Last   Word.  297 

canvas  bucket  filled  with  fresh  water 
and  covered  with  cheesecloth  to  keep 
out  dust  and  flies,  if  hung  up  in  the 
sun,  will  afford  a  supply  of  agreeably 
cold  water.  This  is  an  old  "  wrinkle," 
much  used  in  tropical  climates.  A  por- 
ous earthenware  jar  will  also  accom- 
plish the  same  result,  the  effect  being 
produced  by  evaporation. 

The  cuisine  of  a  small  racing  yacht  is 
necessarily  limited.  The  solution  of 
the  cooking-stove  problem  has  not  as 
yet  been  accomplished.  Gasoline  stoves 
are  clean,  convenient  and  efficient,  but 
they  are  dangerous.  Oil  stoves  with 
wicks,  on  account  of  their  odor,  smoke 
and  dirt,  are  objectionable  ;  cook  and 
cabin  are  covered  with  lampblack.  Coal 
stoves  generate  too  much  heat  below  for 
true  comfort  in  our  summers.  The  sea 
stove  of  the  future  will  probably  be  an 
adaptation  of  the  wickless  oil  stove, 
which  is  as  cleanly  as  an  alcohol  stove 
and  equally  free  from  dirt  and  odor,  and 
burns  ordinary  kerosene  oil. 

The  good  quality  of  the  canned  meats, 
vegetables  and  fruits,  as  put  up  nowa- 
days, renders  a  yachtsman  pretty  nearly 
independent  of  a  galley.  With  a  capa- 
cious ice-box,  he  can  store  supplies  of 
cooked  meats  and  fowls,  which,  with 
the  aid  of  his  stock  of  canned  goods, 
will  keep  him  going.  A  stove  on  which 
he  can  boil  a  kettle  for  coffee  or  tea  and 
fry  a  dish  of  fish  or  ham  and  eggs  is  all 
that  is  absolutely  necessary.  He  wants 
all  the  available  space  for  his  racing 


298  Yachting  Wrinkles, 

sails  and  gear,  and  cannot  spare  room 
below  for  a  Delmonico  kitchen.  Thus 
the  aesthetic  epicure  or  even  the  ordi- 
nary glutton  (I  guess  there  is  but  little 
difference  between  them)  must  make 
some  notable  gastronomical  sacrifices 
while  in  the  pursuit  of  yacht  prizes,  but 
he  can  easily  atone  for  scanty  fare 
afloat  when  he  reaches  the  shore,  where 
hotels  with  epicurean  larders  are  within 
easy  distance.  But,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
the  ordinary  yachtsman  will  fare  admi- 
rably on  such  "grub  "  as  he  can  carry 
along  from  port  to  port,  and  he  need 
never  be  forced  to  seek  the  hospitality 
of  a  caravansary. 

Some  cooks  have  a  violent  prejudice 
against  the  humble  and  innocuous  fry- 
ing-pan. They  denounce  it  until  they 
are  black  in  the  face.  I  have  found  this 
culinary  utensil  invaluable  in  a  small 
vessel  where  an  oil  stove  only  was  pos- 
sible, and  the  use  of  a  broiler  conse- 
quently impracticable.  Procure  not  the 
ordinary  shallow  pan,  such  as  is  com- 
monly used  in  kitchens  ashore,  but  a 
deep  pan  with  a  tightly  fitting  cover 
and  a  long  handle,  such  as  French  chefs 
affect.  In  this  a  great  variety  of  food 
can  be  prepared — savory  stews,  appetiz- 
ing curries  and  soups.  If  you  heat  the 
pan  very  hot  before  you  put  a  steak  or 
a  chop  in  it  (omitting  fat  or  butter),  in 
flavor  and  tenderness  you  can  scarcely 
distinguish  it  from  a  genuine  grill.  My 
word  for  it,  a  frying-pan,  intelligently 
used,  is  a  boon  and  a  blessing  aboard  a 


7 he  Last   Word.  299 

small  vessel.  But  mind  and  get  a  deep 
one  with  a  cover,  as  a  shallow  one  is  of 
little  use  when  the  boat  is  pitching  or 
rolling,  or  even  sailing  in  smooth  water 
but  heeling  over  to  the  breeze. 

If  you  happen  to  get  hold  of  a  good 
"Jap  "  for  a  sea  cook,  he  will  be  able  to 
boil  rice  correctly.  Some  fellows  don't 
like  rice.  The  reason  is  because  they 
have  never  eaten  it  cooked  to  Oriental 
perfection,  when  every  grain  is  plump 
and  dry  and  separate  from  its  fellow.  It 
is  different  when  you  get  a  mushy  abom- 
ination served  up  to  you  in  lieu  of  a  dish 
pretty  to  look  at  and  grateful  to  the 
palate. 

I  learned  to  cook  rice  when  a  boy 
plying  on  a  schooner  owned  by  the 
Jehanum  Jow  Juldee  Railroad,  which 
used  to  connect  Negapatam  with  Mad- 
ras. The  native  cook  was  my  teacher. 
First  he  placed  his  measure  of  rice  in  a 
deck  bucket,  washing  it  repeatedly  with 
water  fresh  from  the  ocean.  He  ex- 
plained to  me  in  his  Tamil  language, 
that  unless  this  process  was  followed 
the  grains  of  rice  would  cling  together 
and  coagulate  and  form  into  a  porridge, 
loathsome  to  look  at  and  worse  to  taste. 
After  washing  the  rice  thoroughly,  he 
placed  it  in  a  pot  of  furiously  boiling 
fresh  water — no  salt  being  added.  Then 
he  would  fire  up  like  an  infernal  stoker 
and  keep  the  pot  in  a  splendid  state  of 
ebullition.  And  mark  you,  messmates 
all,  he  never  stirred  the  heated  mass  ! 

After  boiling  for  twenty  minutes,  he 


3oo  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

reduced  the  heat,  strained  off  the  water, 
carefully  reserving  it  for  drinking  pur- 
poses (for  congee  water  isn't  half  bad), 
and  then  let  the  rice  swell  and  dry  for 
half  an  hour  under  a  very  moderate  fire. 
The  result  was  RICE  ! 

As  a  grateful  accompaniment  to  this 
staple  comestible,  his  custom  was  to 
prepare  a  curry,  often  of  prawns,  which 
grow  to  perfection  on  the  Coromandel 
Coast.  Now,  far  be  it  from  me  to  decry 
the  luscious  excellence  of  the  American 
prawn,  whose  toothsome  delicacy  has 
often  tickled  my  palate,  but  in  the  inter- 
est of  truth  I  must  say  that  the  species 
which  flourishes  under  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  must  retire  into  insignificance  in 
the  matter  of  size,  plumpness,  juiciness 
and  flavor  when  compared  with  the 
prawns  of  Madras.  Some  of  these  at- 
tain the  length  of  nine  inches.  Par- 
boiled in  sea  water,  dexterously  deprived  , 
of  their  scaly  armor,  and  then  impaled 
on  thin  strips  of  bamboo,  they  were  ready 
for  the  deft  and  scientific  touch  of  our 
Madrassee  chef.  In  an  earthenware 
"chatty  "  he  placed  a  sufficient  quantity 
of  "ghee,"  or  native  butter.  When  this 
reached  the  sizzling  stage,  he  added  a 
little  finely  shred  onion  and  a  suspicion 
of  garlic,  watching  the  stewpan  with 
the  kindly  care  of  a  mother  until  it 
reached  the  golden-brown  stage.  Next, 
with  tender  solicitude,  he  put  in  the 
prawns  and  the  curry  and  watched  the 
product  stew  in  its  own  juice  until  its 
fragrance  enticed  all  hands  with  water- 


The  Last  Word.  301 

ing  mouths  to  cluster  round  his  base  of 
operations. 

About  the  curry  ?  Please  don't  ask 
me  for  its  ingredients.  I  was  only  a 
hungry  boy  then  and  didn't  know  enough 
to  investigate  its  component  parts.  I 
am  sure,  however,  that  it  contained 
chillies,turmeric,  thepulp  of  green  cocoa- 
nut  and  a  host  of  other  Eastern  condi- 
ments, and  that  the  result  was  gastro- 
nomic joy.  To  make  a  dish  of  palatable 
curry  in  a  yacht's  kitchen  and  in  half  an 
hour  is  easy.  In  your  deep  frying-pan 
place  a  chunk  of  butter  as  big  as  an  egg. 
When  it  melts  and  begins  to  smoke  add 
a  large  onion  sliced  and  a  tablespoonful 
of  curry  powder  and  any  cold  meat  or 
cold  fish  you  may  have  on  hand,  cut  up 
in  small  chunks.  Let  it  cook  for  fifteen 
minutes  and  fall  to  and  eat ! 

Curry  is  like  the  true  West  India  pep- 
per-pot. It  can  be  made  of  almost  any- 
thing. Fresh  meat  or  fish,  canned  meat 
or  vegetables,will  always  taste  good.  All 
that  is  actually  necessary  in  the  way  of 
condiments  may  be  thus  summarized  : 
Butter,  onions  (garlic  to  those  who  be- 
lieve it  to  be  the  violet  of  vegetables, 
always  in  a  small  quantity),  red  and 
black  pepper,  curry  powder  and  chutnee. 
With  these  ingredients  a  palatable  dish 
is  always  at  hand.  No  Asian  or  Eurasian 
thickens  his  curry  with  flour.  A  squeeze 
of  lemon  or  lime-juice  adds  zest  to  the 
dish. 

In  concluding  these  culinary  hints  I 
may  say  that  chops,  ham  and  eggs,  may 


302  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

be  prepared  with  facility  in  the  deep 
frying-pan  already  recommended.  Let 
the  pan  be  blazing  hot  when  your  ambi- 
tion urges  you  to  serve  up  a  sirloin  steak 
or  an  English  mutton  chop.  Put  no  fat 
in  the  pan.  The  object  is  to  sear  up  the 
fibre  of  the  meat  and  keep  in  the  juices. 
When  you  think  the  meat  is  cooked  put 
it  in  a  hot  dish,  butter  it  on  both  sides 
and  pipe  all  hands  to  dinner. 

When  you  fry  fish,  oysters  or  clams, 
place  them  in  boiling  fat  and  cook  rapid- 
ly. The  best  and  freshest  of  fish  is 
ruined  by  letting  it  get  soddened  in  luke- 
warm grease. 

Now  here  is  my  recipe  for  fish  chow- 
der, and  when  you  have  once  partaken 
thereof  you  will  cry  like  a  child  for 
more.  Procure  a  small  codfish  or  had- 
dock, while  yet  squirming  from  the  hook, 
clean  him  well  and  parboil  him,  reserv- 
ing the  water  in  which  he  was  cooked. 
Remove  head,  tail,  skin  and  bone,  and  cut 
him  up  into  moderate  mouthfuls.  Place 
an  iron  pot  on  the  galley  fire.  When  it 
is  hot  throw  in  a  lump  of  butter  and  six 
onions  sliced  finely.  When  the  fragrant 
odor  of  the  onion  arises  throw  in  your 
fish.  Cover  the  pot  close  so  that  the  fish 
may  absorb  all  the  flavor.  Then  add 
potatoes  in  very  small  quantities  and 
some  of  the  broth  the  fish  primarily  sim- 
mered in,  and  wait  till  it  is  cooked  and 
then  ask  a  blessing  and  eat  it.  One  hint 
and  then  I  am  done.  Let  each  man  flavor 
his  own  dish.  Don't  you  as  sea  cook 
usurp  a  man's  rights.  Provide  the  usual 


The  Last  Word.  303 

condiments  and  sauces,  pepper  and  salt, 
etc.,  but  otherwise  allow  the  true  disciple 
of  the  goddess  Gastronomia  to  reach  his 
goal  by  means  of  his  own. 

By  using  a  little  judgment  and  com- 
mon sense  one  may  easily  avoid  the 
"  grub-spoiling "  stage,  and  be  able  to 
boil  a  kettle  of  water  without  burning 
it,  and  finally  master  the  art  of  making 
a  cup  of  drinkable  coffee,  tea  or  choco- 
late, and  of  cooking  a  few  simple  dishes, 
which  will  agreeably  vary  the  monotony 
of  canned  viands,  which  are  distasteful 
to  many  of  ourjeunesse  dore'e  under  any 
and  all  circumstances,  sardines  alone 
excepted,  wrhich  seem  never  to  clog  on 
even  the  most  jaded  palate. 

Hardtack  should  be  stored  in  airtight 
canisters,  or  it  will  soon  become  "  sog- 
gy "  and  lose  its  dry  crispness  and 
wholesome  savor.  A  glazed  earthen- 
ware jar  in  the  ice  box  makes  a  very 
capital  receptacle  for  butter. 

With  regard  to  beverages  tastes  will 
differ.  Bottled  beer  is  rather  too  bulky. 
California  wines  are  wholesome  and 
moderate  in  price.  Some  of  the  growths 
are  equal  to  the  produce  of  any  foreign 
vineyard.  In  making  out  your  list  of 
liqui'd  stores  do  not  omit  a  bottle  of  old 
brandy  for  medicinal  purposes,  and 
take  care  to  reserve  it  for  a  real  emer- 
gency, never  opening  it,  no  matter  how 
parched  your  throat  may  be  or  how 
plaintively  your  chum  may  cry  out  for 
a  "  nip."  Brandy  has  often  saved  life, 
and  on  general  principles  it  is  unwise  to 


304  Yachting   Wrinkles. 

divert  medical  stores  from  their  proper 
sphere  of  usage  Some  racing-  yachts- 
men quench  their  thirst  with  ice  water 
qualified  with  a  drain  of  Scotch  whiskey 
or  Plymouth  gin.  Both  of  these  drinks 
are  recommended  by  many  fleet  sur- 
geons of  my  acquaintance  as  being 
wholesome  when  taken  in  moderation. 
But  it  is  as  hard  to  prescribe  a  man's  food 
or  drink  for  him  as  to  induce  him  to 
follow  advice  on  how  to  dress.  The  fore- 
going hints  are,  therefore,  given  with 
good  intent,  and  with  no  desire  on  my 
part  to  ram  them  down  my  readers' 
throats. 

Beware,  however,  of  the  amateur 
"  grub-spoiler."  He  will  play  havoc  with 
your  larder,  and  make  you  use  lan- 
guage which  your  spiritual  director 
would  highly  disapprove.  There  is 
much  truth  in  the  aphorism  that  heaven 
sends  cooks  and  that  "grub-spoilers" 
come  from  "the  other  place." 

With  reference  to  remedies  for  sea- 
sickness I  can  offer  only  one  suggestion. 
Ice  bags  for  the  spine,  nitrite  of  amyl 
to  inhale,  chloral  to  take  internally,  are 
among  the  many  nostrums  recommend- 
ed. Personally  I  have  witnessed  many 
marvelous  cures  by  judicious  doses  of 
dry  champagne,  or,  in  default  of  this 
beverage,  brandy  and  soda  taken  ice- 
cold.  Sweet  champagne  seems  to  aggra- 
vate rather  than  relieve  the  awful  nau- 
sea. 

Do  not  fail  to  take  a  good  supply  of 
lemons  and  limes  with  you  when  bound 


The  Last   Word.  305 

on  a  cruise.  They  are  excellent  for  the 
compounding  of  temperance  and  other 
beverages. 

Do  not  fail  to  include  in  your  list  of 
necessaries  a  nautical  almanac,  which  is 
full  of  useful  information.  Among  the 
subjects  are  the  time  of  sunrise  and 
sunset,  lighthouses  and  lightships,  the 
moon's  phases,  compass  variations,  tide 
tables,  etc.  Do  not  leave  it  ashore  as 
did  the  Dutchman  his  anchor. 

Watertight  sailcovers  are  great  safe- 
guards against  mildew,  but  should  not 
be  used  to  cover  sails  already  wet.  Dry 
your  sails  thoroughly  before  you  furl 
them  snugly.  If  wet,  leave  them  in 
loose  folds  secured  with  a  stop  or  two. 

If  your  boat  is  bigger  than  a  Herres- 
hoff  thirty-footer,  which  has  no  accom- 
modations at  all,  by  all  means  get  into 
the  wholesome  habit  of  sleeping  aboard 
and  thus  avoid  the  temptations  in  the 
way  of  dissipation  which  the  shore  has 
extended  to  mariners  since  the  days  of 
Jason  and  the  good  ship  Argo.  Re- 
member that  a  windsail  judiciously  set 
to  catch  every  stray  breath  of  air,  with 
its  lower  end  down  the  forehatch  or  the 
cabin  skylight,  will  keep  the  air  below 
sufficiently  cool  for  comfort,  and  refresh- 
ing sleep  will  follow  as  a  matter  of 
course. 

It  is  quite  the  correct  thing  for  the 
owner  of  a  racing  yacht  to  invite  a 
friend  or  two  to  go  with  him  on  a  cruise 
and  to  accept  their  help  in  racing  the 
yacht  in  the  daily  runs  from  port  to 


306  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

port.  For  the  benefit  of  those  not  well 
acquainted  with  the  etiquette  ot  yacht 
racing  the  following  suggestions  may 
be  of  use  : 

It  is  well  for  all  hands  to  get  aboard 
in  good  time,  so  as  to  have  ample 
opportunity  to  prepare  for  the  busi- 
ness of  the  day.  I  will  take  it  for 
granted  that  you  are  properly  clad  for 
the  work  ahead,  that  you  have  left  your 
frock  coat  and  gafftopsail  hat  ashore, 
where  they  belong,  and  that  your  ap- 
parel is  suited  for  the  occasion.  I  am 
no  Beau  Brummel,  to  act  as  arbiter  ele- 
gantiarum  in  the  matter  of  attire  afloat 
or  ashore,  but  I  have  seen  some  queerly 
rigged  specimens  of  amateur  sailors  in 
my  time,  and  have  observed  what  an 
amazing  fund  of  fun  they  furnish  to  the 
curious  onlooker  surveying  the  scene 
from  the  outside.  Gorgeous  "blazers," 
silken  sashes  of  variegated  hues,  acting 
as  soul  and  body  lashings  round  the 
midship  section  and  supporting  trou- 
sers of  spotless  white  jean,  with  the 
accessories  of  an  expensive  straw  hat,  a 
"biled"  shirt,  silken  hose  and  pipe- 
clayed deck  shoes — all  these  may  look 
ornamental  and  captivating,  but  the 
common-sense  element  of  utility  is  lack- 
ing. Such  bright  plumage  may  be 
suitable  for  the  deck  of  a  steam  yacht 
with  pretty  girls  aboard,  or  for  the 
casino  of  a  swell  seaside  resort,  but  a 
simple  suit  of  flannel  and  a  white  duck 
yachting  cap  is  the  sort  of  garb  best 
adapted  for  the  work  to  be  tackled. 


The  Last   Word.  307 

For  prudential  reasons,  in  this  uncer- 
tain climate  a  fellow  should  take  his 
"oilers"  along.  Even  as  I  write  I  am 
reminded  of  the  advisability  of  this  by 
certain  unpleasant  rheumatic  twinges 
which  rack  my  old  weather-beaten  hull, 
and  which  might  perhaps  have  been 
avoided  if  I  had  kept  myself  drier  in 
my  youth.  Let  no  "  freshie  "  take  an 
umbrella  aboard,  as  it  is  a  breeder  of 
bad  luck,  and  if  there  happens  to  be  an 
old  sea-dog  in  the  craft,  ten  to  one  he 
will  seize  an  early  opportunity  of  sur- 
reptitiously heaving  it  overboard  —  a 
proceeding  which  every  right-minded 
mariner  will  cordially  approve, 

Do  not  burden  yourself  with  walking- 
cane,  field-glasses  or  camera,  no  matter 
how  devoted  you  may  be  to  the  art  of 
amateur  photograph}*.  There  is  a  time 
for  everything,  and  your  special  duty 
during  the  match  will  be  to  pull  and 
haul  on  ropes,  to  stick  out  to  windward 
as  far  as  possible  when  the  yacht  is 
close  hauled,  and  to  hop  lively  about 
the  decks  as  occasion  requires,  never 
heeding  salt  sea  water  coming  aboard 
in  showers  of  spray  from  the  ocean,  or 
the  drenching  downpour  from  the  open 
heavens. 

It  will  occur  to  you  that  the  fancy 
attire  to  which  I  have  alluded  above 
will  be  inappropriate  to  any  but  the 
calmest  and  sunniest  weather.  Enough 
said  !  If  you  wish  to  gratify  the  heart 
of  the  yacht-owner  you  will  invest  in  a 
close  crop  and  a  clean  shave  prepara- 


308  Yachting  Wrinkles. 

tory  to  reporting  aboard,  and  will  carry 
nothing  but  a  knife  and  a  handkerchief 
in  your  pockets,  leaving  your  jewelry 
and  watch  and  keys  and  other  personal 
bric-a-brac  ashore.  If  you  should  chance 
to  fall  overboard  during  the  race  you 
will  not  feel  sorry  if  you  availed  your- 
self of  this  valuable  hint,  for  salt  water 
plays  the  devil  with  the  works  of  a 
timepiece,  and  but  few  watch-cases  are 
actually  fluid -proof.  Besides,  every 
ounce  of  superfluous  \veight  militates 
against  the  speed  of  a  craft,  and  "  mony 
a  inickle  makes  a  muckle." 

One  final  word  to  the  yacht  owner. 
Be  careful  of  the  guests  you  invite. 
The  sea  frequently  develops  the  harm- 
less shore  crank  into  a  most  detestable 
nuisance  afloat.  When  once  he  is  aboard 
the  law  does  not  permit  you  to  heave 
him  overboard. 


INDEX. 

PAGE. 

Ackers,  Holland, 226 

Alarm,  First  British  Warship  to  be  Coppered,      .        68 

Alarm.  Cutter, 138 

Albany,  Ocean-going  Sloop, 83 

Alden,  W.  L.,  Quoted, 282 

Aluminum  as  a  Yacht  Metal,     .        .        .        .   50  et  seq. 
America,  Schooner,  19,  22,  38  ;  Lines  of,  30  ;  7,  81,  165,  184 

America's  Cup, 30 

Argo,  Captain  Jason 14,  17 

Ark,  Captain  Noah, 13,  14 

Arrow,  Cutter, 138 

Athlon,  Stormy  Cruise  on,  .         .        .   91  et  set/,;  288 

Bedouin,  Cutter, .  136 

Bloodhound,  Cutter, 150 

Boa  s,  Yachts',  Handling  of, 269 

Boatswain,  Duties  of, 176 

Bow,  Type  of,  1892, 237 

Britannia,  Cutter, 45 

Burgess,  Edward, 81 

Carlyle,  Thomas,  Good  Sailor,  .        .        .    27  et  seq. 

Center,  Robert, 6? 

Centerboard,   Discussed,  78  tt  sey.;  Germ  of,        .        84 
Charles  II.,  King,  and  His  Yacht,     .        .        .          17,18 

Chronometers,  Care  of 164 

Clara,  Cutter, 45,  64 

Colonia, 136,  137 

Columbus,  Flagship  of, 17 

Cookery  on  Small  Yachts, 297 

Cooks,  188-9  i  Wages  of, 291 

Compass,  Hints  on  Care  of, 156 

Corinthian  Yacht  Club  of  New  York,      ...        37 

Corsair,  Steam  Yacht, 22 

Cranfield,  Captain, 253 

Crews,  Selection  of,  183  ;  Wages  of,          .        .        .291 
Cutter,  Rig  of, 139 

Dad,  Freak, 117,  120 

Defender,  52-3  4, 177,  179;  Mid-Section  of,  239;  Sheer 

Plan  of, 246 

Dilemma, 83,  no 


3  TO  I  tide x. 


PAGE. 

Dominion,  Double-Huller,  ...          88,  122-3-4 

Dorothy,  Catboat, xot,  109,  113 

Double-Huller  of  the  Pacific,  128;  Singhalese  Type,    126 

Dragon  III.,  zo-Rater, 63,75 

Duggan,  Herrick,  Designer  of  Dominion,       .        .      121 

Duncan,  Skipper  of  Madge, 157 

Duty  and  Discipline  Aflo:.t,        ....  i66etseg. 

Ellen,  Watson  2o-Rater, 235 

Emerald.  Schooner, 132 

English  Cutters,  Mid-Sections  of,      .        .        .        .      238 

Ethel wynn,  i5-footer,  152,  153 

Evolution,  81  ;  Lines  of, 107 

Fife,  William,  Sr 245 

Fitting  Out  and  Tuning  Up,       ....  130  et seq. 
Flags,  Proper  Use  of,  265  et  seq. 

Galatea.  Cutter,  45,  231;  Mid-Section  of,  .        .      239 
Genesta,  Cutter,  45,  135,  231  ;  Mid-Section  of,         .      239 
Ghost,  sr-footer,  Race  of,  with  Phantom,  192  et  seq. 
Gimcrack,    Schooner,   J.    C.    Stevens'    Flag- 
ship,     18,23,25,34 

Gloriana, 79,  81,  83 

Goshawk,  Brig,  Wreck  of,  with  Author  Aboard,         76 

Gossoon,  4o-footer, 161,  163 

Gracie,  Sloop, 132,133 

Guns,  Proper  Use  of, 262 

Haff,  Captain, 178 

Harvey,  Designer  John, 64 

Havens,  E.  B., 91 

Herreshoff,  Nat., 45,  54,  81,  231 

Hurkaru,  East  Indiaman, 126 

Insurance,  Yachting, -2-12  et  seq. 

Iselin,  C.  Oliver,      .....  .        .      177 

Jay,  Captain  Tom,         .......      236 

Johnson,  Dr.,  Quoted,  .        .  ...        27 

Jubilee,  Lines  of.  no;  Dimensions  of,  .        .      118 

Jullanar,  Lines  of,  108;  Dimensions  of,    .        .        .114 

Katrina, .        .  160 

Kewaydin,  Knockabout, 103 

Kittie,  Catboat, 105 

Knight,  E.  P.,  Quoted 185 

Lascar  Crews, 181 

Leeboard,  Dutch, 84 


Index.  311 


PAGE. 

Madge,  Cutter, 45,  81  2,  159 

Maria,  Sloop, 18,  19,  34,  38 

Mary,  Yacht  of  Charles  II.,         ...          17,  18 

Mary  Taylor,  Pilot  Boat, 185 

Mates,  Duties  of,  172  ;  Wages  of,        ....      291 

Maxwell,  J.  Rogers 284 

Mayflower,  45  ;  Mid-Section  of,          ....      239 
Measurement  Rules,  American  and  British,     240  it  seq. 

Meteor,  Cutter, 45,  177 

Minerva,  Cutter, 45,  151,  163 

Montauk,  Schooner, 288 

Mosquito,  First  English  Iron  Yacht,        ...        62 

Nameless,  British  Freak, m,  121 

Niagara,  Lines  of,  no  ;   Midship  Section  of,  114  ; 

Under  Sail, 115,  117 

New  York  Yacht  Club, 18,  21,  43 

Noah,  Captain, 13,  14 

Norse  Galley, 7,  20 

Nyanza,  First  Composite  Yacht,        ....        63 

Oriva,  Cutter, 67 

Ouananiche,  2i-footer, 71,  72 

Outfits,  Cost  of  for  Crew, 291 

Parasites,  Yachting, 285 

Phantom,  5i-footer,  Race  of,  with  Ghost,        .   192  et  seg. 

Piano  Wire  for  Rigging, 151 

Postley,  Commodore  C.  A., 136 

Priscilla, 136 

Proa,  Flying,  Described  by  Anson,          .        .        .128 

Protests, 217 

Puritan,  45,  81,  136;  Mid-Section  of,         .        .        .239 

Race  Committees,  Duties  of, 216 

Racing  Money, 291 

Racing  Rules, zi-,etseq. 

Racing  Yacht,  The,  47  et  seq.\  Evolution  of,     225  et  seq. 
Randall,  F.  M.,  Cape  Catboats  of,     .        .        .        .       105 

Rocket.  Lines  of,  112,  117,  121 

Rorqual,  Fin  Freak,      .        .        .        .        •        .        .      116 
Rule  of  the  Road  at  Sea -2-1$  et  seq. 

Sails,  Cotton  and  Flax,  141  ;  Proper  Balancing  of,  159-60 

Salutes,  Etiquette  of, 263  et  seg. 

Sappho,  Schooner, 134,  185 

Sasqua, ...       288 

Sea  Jockeying,  Examples  01,      ....         157-58 


312  Index. 

PAGE. 

Sea-lawyers, 182 

Sea-sickness,  Remedies  for, 304 

Shamrock,  Sloop, 132 

Skate,  Freak, 118,  120 

Smith,  Designer  A.  Gary, 62 

Spars, 142 

Spruce  IV., 154 

Steel,  Gaffs  and  Booms  of,          ....  143 

Stephens,  W.  P.,  on  Centerboards,   .        .        .     86  f  t  seq. 

Stern,  Type  of  1892, .237 

Stevens,  J.  C., 18,  19,  31 

Stewards,  188-89  '•  Wages  of, 201 

Sullivan,  Sir  Edward,  Quoted,          ....       184 

Thistle,  141,  231,  235  ;  Mid-Section  of,        .  .      239 

Titania, 160 

Trojans,  Yacht  Races  of, 16 

Turnbuckles, ,        .      142,  149 

Uncas,  Schooner,  70-1  ;  Rig  of,  .        .        .    144-45-78 

Valkyrie  II.,  Mid-Section  of, 239 

Valkyrie  III.,  45,  52,  m,  177  ;  Mid-Section  of,  239  ; 

Sheer  Plan  of, 246 

Vendenesse,  Aluminum  Cutter,        ....         51 

Vesper,  Freak, 117,120 

Vesta,  Schooner,  85,  121 

Victoria,  Queen,  Patroness  of  Yachting,        .        .        46 

Vigil,  Schooner,  Rig  of, 144 

Vigilant,  Sloop,  50  ;  Mid-Section  of,          .        .        .       239 
Vigilant,  Revenue  Cutter,  ....    27  tt  seq. 

Viking  Ship, 17,  20 

Vindex,  First  American  Iron  Yacht,        ...        62 
Volunteer,  Sloop,  136,  231  ;  Mid-Section  of,    .        .      239 

Wainwright,  Lieut. -Commander,  ...        37 

Wages, 289, 291 

Wanda,  Herreshoff  Catboat,       .        .        .       104,  106,  109 
Watson,  Designer  George  L..    .        .        47,  67-8,  114,  231 

Wire  Rope,  Flexible, 142 

Yacht  Racing  as  a  Sport, i^rtseg. 

Y.  R.  A.  of  Long  Island  Sound,  44  ;  of  Massachu- 
setts, 44 ;  of  Great  Britain,  .  .        .      230,  232 
Yachts,  Type  of,  Discussed,  78  ei  seg.\  Race,  Down- 
to-Date  Described,  192  et   seq.;    Captains   of, 
166,168;  Legal  Status  of  Owners  of,  .        .       280 
Yachting,  Etiquette  of,  261  et  seq  ;  Cost  of,      .  282  et  sey. 
Yachting  Reporters,  A  Plea  for,       .        .        .        .216 


Everyone  wben 
bunking  jpommer\> 

is  invfteD  to  pap  a  little  more  attention 
tban  is  usuallp  bestoweD  upon  so 
pleasant  an  occupation,  anD  to  note  tbe 
"finesse"  wbicb  tbe  bouse  is  at  such 
pains  to  secure.  1ft  will  not  be  labor 
lost.  Che  pleasure  afforDeD  bp  a  glass 
of  choice  champagne  wben  one  can 
Discern  all  its  ejquisitelp  Delicate 
sbaDes  of  flavor  anD  bouquet,  anD 
perhaps  even  locate  them,  as  it  were, 
in  their  verp  birthplaces,  is  a  Delight 
unDreameD  of  bp  tbe  careless  Drinker. 
1fn  tbis  connection  it  is  wortbp  of 
note  that  in  lonDon  wben  the  whole= 
sale  prices  of  Champagne  are  regulateD 
solelp  upon  qualitp,  pommcrp  sells  at 
a  much  higher  price  tban  anp  other 
branD,  tbe  retail  price  being,  however, 
tbe  same  in  America. 

pommerg  "Sec  ano  Krut"  is  for  Sale  Everywhere. 


(Braef  &  Co., 

Sole  Hgents  for  tbe  'anite^  States. 

32  JBeaver  Street,  IKlew  H?or&. 


Nothing  is  more  exasperating 

at  sea  than  a  dead  calm.    A  hoxvling  gale  is 
preferable,  if  your  craft  is  a  sailing  vessel. 

\A7Vrv     nrvf"     Put   yourself   in    a   position  to 

11 J      llul     laugh   at   the   calm?     Get   the 

Gas  Engine  and  Power  Co.  and  Charles 

L.  Seabury  &  Co.  (Consolidated)  to  fit  your 
yacht  with  a  Naphtha  Motor. 

Or  hotter  <5tlll  give  them  an  order  to 
\Jl  ,  UCLICI  2MI1I,  build  a  down-to-date 
auxiliary  craft  like  Alfredo,  shown  in  the 
cut— the  flagship  and  fleet  of  the  Cuban 
navy,  commanded  by  Johnny  O'Brien,  the 
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She  is  fifty  feet  long,  has  a  sixteen-h'>rse-p"wer  motor  :md 
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The  David  B.  Crockett  Co. 

BRIDGEPORT,  CONN.,  U.  S.  A. 


SAMUEL  SWAN,  President.  W.  D.  LE.\'T,  Vice-President. 

CHAS.  F.    TOWXER,  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 


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FAIR  WEATHER  AND  FOUL. 

BY  CAPTAIN  A.  J.  KENEALY. 


IN   ITS    THIRD  EDITION,    REVISED    AND    BROUGHT    UP 
TO  DATE. 


It  is  all  there  and  stated  in  such  a  plain, 
practical  way  that  anyone  can  learn 
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215    PAGES,    FULLY    ILLUSTRATED. 
Pricet  50  cents  in  limp  Buckram.    In  cloth,  $1.00. 


The  following  subjects  lead  the  chapters : 

Preliminary  Hints  to  an  Amateur  with  Ambitions  Toward  Own- 
ing a  Boat. 

The  Choice  of  a  Boat. 

Trial  Spin  in  a  Cat-Boat—How  to  Get  Under  Way,  Beat  to  Wind- 
ward and  Run  Back,  with  Instructions  How  to  Act  if  Caught 
in  a  Squall  or  Stranded  on  a  Shoal,  and  How  to  Avoid  Col- 
lisions and  Come  to  Anchor. 

Advantages  of  the  Yawl-Rig  for  General  Cruising  Purposes — 
Disadvantages  of  the  Ballast  Fin  for  All  Purposes  Except 
Racing. 


The  Popularity  of  the  Knockabout  as  an  Excellent  Cruising 
Craft,  with  Some  Observations  on  the  One-design  Classes 
from  Schooners  to  Dories. 

Keep  Your  Weather-Eye  Open  All  the  Time  When  Afloat— How 
to  Handle  a  Boat  in  Heavy  Weather  or  a  Summer  Squall. 

Overhauling  the  Yaclit— Practical  Instructions  for  Cleaning  and 
Painting  the  Craft  Inside  and  Out,  with  Hints  on  the  Care  of 
Hull,  Spars,  Canvas  and  Running  Gear. 

Fitting  Out  for  a  Cruise 

Combination  Rowing  and  Sailing  Boats. 

Rigging  and  Sails— Standing  and  Running  Gear,  and  the  Bend- 
ing and  Setting  of  Canvas. 

Laying  Up  for  the  Winter— Practical  Suggestions  for  Protecting 
a  Boat  and  f  Her  Gear  from  the  Stress  of  Our  Inclement 
Climate 

Useful  Hints  and  Recipes. 

The  Rule  of  the  Road  at  Sea :  Being  a  Digest  of  the  Present  In 
ternat'ona'  Regulations  for  Preventing  Collisions. 

The  Mariner's  Compass,  with  Remarks  on  Deviation,  Variation, 
Leeway,  Etc. 

Charts,  with  Some  Hints  as  to  Navigation  by  Dead-reckoning. 
Marlinespike  Seamanship. 

Weather  Wrinkles  from  the  Scientific  Point  of  View  of  Profes- 
sional Meteorologists  and  also  Jack  Tar. 

Nautical  Terms  m  Common  Use. 


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The  Yarn  of  the  Yampa, 

BY  E.  L'H.  McGINNIS, 

Is  a  true  story  of  a  Transatlantic  Cruise  of  the  Yacht  "  Yampa," 
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stamping  160  pages,  illustrated  profusely,  $1.00. 

Yacht  Races  for  the 

America's  Cup. 

BY  A.  J.  KENEALY. 

"  This  book  is  highly  prized  and  will  be  carefully  preserved." 
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"A  very  attractive  account  of  international  yachting." — Lon- 
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180  pages,  fully  illustrated.    Paper,  500.    Cloth.  81.50. 


A  Story  of  Student 
•    Life  at  Yale. 

BY  JOHN  SEYMOUR  WOOD 

Like  Tom  Brown  at  Rugby,  Harry's  Career  will  live  on,  as 
long  as  our  boys  shall  go  to  College 

429  pages,  fully  illustrated.    Cloth,  $i  50. 


Saddle  and  Sentiment. 

A  Story  of  the  Turf. 

BY  WENONA  OILMAN. 

The  attention  of  the  reader  is  held  intact  from  start  to  finish. 
Lovers  of  horse-flesh  pronounce  the  descriptions  of  races  as  lack- 
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284  pages,  elaborately  illustrated.    Paper,  500.    Cloth,  $1.00. 


Always  Strong  and  Happy 

Or,  KEY  TO  HEALTH  AND  STRENGTH. 

BY  PROF.  J.  R.  JUDD. 

A  full  and  comprehensive  treatise  on  the  care  of  the  human  body. 


200  pages,  fully  illustrated.     Cloth,  $1.50. 


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Hppeals  to  all  who  Indulge  in  any  of  the 
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deals  with  all  the  pastimes 
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man's standpoint,  and  is 
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Every  number  contains,  in  addition  to  the  leading 
articles,  a  complete  record  of  the  principal  doings 
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ED.  W.  SANDYS,  MALCOLM  W.  FOKD, 

WALTER  CAMP,  PERCY  ASHLEY, 

Capt.  A.  J.  KENEALY,  A.  H.  GODFREY, 

J.  PARMLY  PARET,  DR.   NICOL, 

AND    OTHERS. 

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Just  the  thing  for  a  yachting  cruise. 


HEALTH 
CIGARS? 


You  can't  tell  the  differ- 
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Fifth  Avenue  and  USd  Street,      -       -      New  York. 

Telephone  S592-38th. 


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A    000604240     2 


